“But I’m not executive enough.” Whoosh, all the air goes out of the room with that admission. My client muttered it under her breath, reluctant to say it out loud, and yet relieved that the weight was finally off her chest. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this. And it’s definitely not the first time I’ve felt it myself. What’s funny is, I’ve never heard this from people who are actually not yet at a certain level of leadership. Every time, it’s from incredible leaders alre

This isn’t your parents’ executive presence. I wish I could remove the concept of “executive presence” altogether. But the more I work with my clients, the more I see: It’s still the reality they face, every single day. Evaluation against a suit-and-tie, command-and-control image that’s growing more outdated by the minute. And yet -  Even as empathy, thoughtfulness, and diverse perspectives rise as leadership mandates, the old expectations remain loud and clear: 📢 Command th

Photo by Ryan Moreno on Unsplash "You're not visionary enough." "You're not strategic enough." "You're not painting the big picture." Have you heard any of those comments? I recently worked with a client who wanted to "be more strategic" because they felt while they've always been great at executing, they're ready to take on a more "strategic" role to make greater impact at their work. What we found during our work together was pleasantly surprising: she was ALREADY doin