05/06/2026
I sat in succession planning meetings for years. What I saw in those rooms does not match what most women in corporate have been told.
The conversation was never “who had the best year?” It was: who do the senior leaders already have a clear picture of at the next level? Whose name comes up naturally, before anyone has to advocate hard for it? Who would a leader stake their own reputation on recommending?
Performance was assumed. It was the floor, not the ceiling.
What actually moved the conversation was whether a senior leader had enough direct exposure to that person enough specific evidence of how they think, how they handle pressure, how they show up in rooms that matter -to feel confident putting their name forward.
Most women in corporate are building a strong case for their manager.
The decision is being made two levels above that.
If you’ve been told to keep doing great work and the promotion will come -that advice came from someone who also wasn’t in the room.
Follow. I’m going to keep sharing what actually works when it comes to getting promoted faster.
