Skills Needed for VP Promotion

If I were 27 and wanted to become a VP of Sales by 31, here’s exactly what I’d do: This isn’t theoretical. It’s based on me doing nearly all of these things and watching the people who actually got promoted...and the ones who didn’t. Let’s go 👇 1/ Meet with 1-2 VPs or CROs outside your company every week. Talk with them. Ask real questions. Don’t just send cold connection requests. Most people love helping someone who's curious and serious 2/ Say YES to helping your peers. Jump on a call. Listen to their calls. Share a few things that helped you. If you say, “Let me know how I can help,” and never do anything... don’t bother 3/ Learn to read a company’s financial statements. I loved monthly exec finance reviews because I understood them and could ask smart questions. Most sellers have no clue. Be the one who does 4/ Master SaaS metrics. Know CAC, LTV, CAC Ratio, burn rate. Understand why these matter before you're managing a $20M sales team quota 5/ Learn how to interview. I read 5+ books on it early in my leadership career and wished I had done it years earlier. Want my top 5 recs? Drop a comment and I’ll share 6/ Ask to be part of hiring. Volunteer to sit in on interviews. Share what you’re learning. This shows initiative and earns trust with leadership 7/ Make sure your boss and their boss KNOW you want to lead. Don’t assume they can read your mind. Say it clearly. Then go earn it, don't wait for it to drop into your lap 8/ Get ridiculously good at spreadsheets. If you don’t know VLOOKUP, SUMIF, or pivot tables, fix that fast. You’ll use these almost daily in sales leadership esp at startups 9/ Get certified in your CRM. Learn how to create reports and dashboards. Most reps don’t do this. That’s why they stay reps 10/ Track your own funnel metrics, primarily conversion rates. Find weak spots. Write up a Google Doc with your own plan to improve them. Then… go do it 11/ Meet people in Marketing, CS, Legal. Learn how they work with (or against) Sales. Future VPs know how to navigate cross-functional bull$h|+ 12/ Practice clear, succinct writing. Execs don’t read 5-paragraph essays. Send the TLDR version. Rambling, bloated messages won’t cut it 13/ Read 12 business or leadership books a year. Apply just 5% from each. You’ll lap most people who "are too busy" to read. Ask me for recs in the comments 😡 There's nothing I hate more than a rep that asks to be promoted to sales leadership, sticks their hand out but then does nothing proactively on their own. Yes, these can be hard and take extra time esp when you're tired. But most salespeople won't even do 3 things on the list above & then wonder why they're not getting promoted. What's 1 other thing people should do to increase their chances of getting into sales leadership?

I was promoted 3x in five years at Microsoft. That led to ~$200k+ of additional comp. Here are 6 principles I used to make it happen: First, some context: Promotions at Microsoft happen in two ways: 1. Internal level bumps 2. Traditional role changes Two of my promotions were level bumps and one was a role change. All three came with increased responsibility and compensation. On to the principles. 1/ Get Clear On Where You're Going I spent my first six months figuring out exactly where I wanted to go. That way I could quadruple down on my goal. The relationships I built and projects I took on all happened with that goal in mind. Compounding applies to careers too. 2/ Be Vocal About Your Goals! I told everyone about my plan: "I want to be a Director of Partner Development." I brought it up in my 1:1s. In my performance reviews. And in convos with colleagues. People can't help you if they don't know your goals. 3/ Build Up Your Social Capital I identified people who could impact my ability to get promoted. I'd talk to them about their challenges and goals. Then I'd work to help solve that problem or support their initiatives. When you show up for others, they show up for you. 4/ Create A Specific Plan With Management Every quarter, I'd ask my manager 3 questions: 1. What skill gaps do I need to fill to get this promo? 2. What results do you need to see as evidence? 3. What projects can I join / start to get those results? Then I'd get started. 5/ Overdeliver On Value And Results I consistently came in over quota. I helped my teammates level up. I helped colleagues on other teams solve problems. Asking for a raise is a lot easier when you generate 10-100x+ what you're asking for. 6/ Ask For The Promotion Finally, make the ask! When the job becomes available, let everyone know two things: 1. You want it. 2. How they can help you (putting in a good word, etc.) Too many people don't get promos simply because they don't ask or ask at the wrong time.

5 Subtle Signs You're Becoming Irreplaceable at Work 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁: You identify and address challenges before they manifest, preventing crises rather than simply resolving them.  𝗪𝗵𝘆: This demonstrates rare strategic foresight and proactive leadership that organizations desperately need.  ✅ Center for Creative Leadership research found anticipatory problem-solving is the strongest predictor of executive promotion (r=0.76), outweighing both technical expertise and communication skills. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁: You effortlessly translate concepts between departments, functions, and organizational levels.  𝗪𝗵𝘆: This bridges critical communication gaps that typically slow progress and create misalignment.  ✅ MIT Technology Review studies show "organizational translators" receive 36% more cross-functional opportunities and are 52% more likely to be identified for leadership tracks. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁: You simplify complicated challenges without oversimplification, making the seemingly impossible actionable.  𝗪𝗵𝘆: This rare ability transforms overwhelming obstacles into manageable team processes.  ✅ Harvard Business School research found 76% of senior executives cite this as the most valuable skill, with impact averaging 3.4x compensation for professionals who demonstrate it. 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁: You make quality decisions quickly without excessive consultation or analysis paralysis. 𝗪𝗵𝘆: This maintains momentum and prevents the organizational drag caused by decision bottlenecks.  ✅ McKinsey & Company research shows organizations with fast decision-making outperform peers by 2.5x in profitability, with individual decision velocity strongly correlating (r=0.67) with promotion rates. 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁: You actively manage team energy, motivation, and morale beyond simple task completion.  𝗪𝗵𝘆: This creates psychological safety and sustainable performance, impossible with purely task-focused leadership.  ✅ Journal of Applied Psychological Research JAPR studies reveal that emotional leadership accounts for 25-30% of performance variance between similar teams, with emotionally skilled leaders experiencing 44% lower turnover. Coaching can help; let's chat.  Follow Joshua Miller ➖  𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲? 🚀 Download Your Free E-Book:  “𝟮𝟬 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀” ↳ https://rb.gy/37y9vi

Before becoming a VP of HR, I was a Talent Acquisition leader responsible for hiring executives. I've hired hundreds of them and patterns don’t lie. The most shocking pattern I noticed? The candidates with the most impressive resumes often lost to people who could tell a better story about their impact. After 15 years watching this play out, here's what no one tells you: (I wasted time and money getting a Masters degree just to figure this out 😅) -Your ability to influence without authority matters more than your title -How you communicate difficult messages impacts your trajectory more than your degrees -Your emotional intelligence drives more opportunities than your technical skills -Strategic storytelling opens more doors than perfect credentials (Yes, these are all important) Want to know why most talented professionals never reach the executive level? They spend 80% of their time building hard skills when executives spend 80% of their time using soft skills. This is why some "less qualified" professionals get promoted faster: They master the art of executive presence early. They develop their communication daily. They focus on influence over authority. I learned this the hard way climbing from recruiter to VP of HR. Now I teach other women how to skip MY 10-year learning curve. Stop focusing only on what you know. Start mastering how you communicate it. —- Hi! I'm April. I help high-achieving women leaders and experienced individual contributors build executive-level influence and communication skills to break through to executive roles. Executive Material group coaching program launching in January 2025 🚀

The skills that make someone an exceptional individual contributor often become limitations in senior leadership. Consider Sarah (composite of many real examples): - Crushes every metric - Works longest hours - Knows every answer - Solves every problem personally - Team depends on her for everything Passed over for VP multiple times. Here's the pattern I've observed: High Performers Often: - Execute personally - Protect their expertise - Measure effort - Create dependency - Focus on tasks High Leaders Typically: - Execute through others - Share knowledge freely - Measure outcomes - Create capability - Focus on people The coaching insight we shared that changed everything for Sarah's trajectory: "What if you stopped being the best player and started being the coach?" Her shift over 6 months: - Delegated strategically - Developed team capabilities - Led cross-functional initiatives - Focused on multiplying impact The result: Finally promoted to VP. This is much easier said, than done. While the specific actions are easy. Internal beliefs, patterns, habits, routine and skills are much harder to change. A step-by-step approach with proactive coaching every step of the way, Made this change possible. The uncomfortable truth I share with clients: If you're the hardest worker on your team, you might not be ready for executive leadership. Leaders create capacity. They don't just consume it. What's your experience with this transition? #Leadership #ExecutiveDevelopment #ManagementInsights #CareerGrowth

When people ask how I became a VP at 35, they expect me to say: → I went back for an MBA → I worked harder than everyone → I waited for someone to tap me And honestly? None of that explains it. The real reason I moved up had nothing to do with credentials or grind. It came from skills no one ever put on a job description: Staying grounded when priorities blew up overnight That's emotional resilience. Speaking up for the value I brought - not apologizing for it That's self-advocacy. Building relationships with people who actually made decisions That's strategic visibility. Reading the room, navigating egos, and keeping people aligned That's emotional intelligence. Trusting my judgment when there was no clear right answer That's leadership. These weren't "extra" skills. They were the difference-makers. They're why I stood out early - and kept rising. And here's the part most people miss: Your resume won't tell you whether you're ready for the next level. Your job title won't tell you either. But your soft skills? They will. If you've been managing chaos, influencing without authority, smoothing conflict, making judgment calls, and keeping everyone sane... You're already doing executive work. You don't need permission to see that. You just need to recognize it. Because the soft skills aren't "nice to have." They're the engine behind executive promotions. And they're 100% learnable! In fact, I teach some of them here: https://lnkd.in/gG8GnY4Y

If you want to get promoted this year, read this: Most people wait for the title to start leading. They want permission and a promotion. The top 1% know better. They know most companies don’t like risk. And the best way to make your promotion low risk? Show them you can do the job... BEFORE they give it to you. Here’s the uncomfortable truth about getting promoted: Your company isn’t promoting potential. Hope is not a qualification. They’re promoting performance. The performance they’ve already seen. While most people focus on doing their job well, Future leaders focus on something completely different: JUDGMENT | Start Acting Like an Owner • Own outcomes, not just tasks • Make decisions as if the company’s success depends on you • Solve problems before you’re asked RELIABILITY | Make Your Manager’s Job Easier • Anticipate needs before they ask • Keep every commitment or escalate early • Deliver work with recommendations, not just reports LEADERSHIP | Develop People Around You • Share knowledge freely • Help new team members succeed faster • Document your work so others can build on it CREDIBILITY | Communicate with Clarity • Write things down—documentation builds trust • Follow up with clear next steps • Use active listening to show you understand PERSPECTIVE | Think Beyond Your Role • Connect your work to bigger goals • Offer ideas that benefit the whole team • Ask questions about the larger business context GROWTH | Give and Receive Feedback Well • Give constructive input to peers • Actively seek feedback on your own performance • Handle criticism without getting defensive SYSTEMS | Solve Problems at the Root • Ask “why” until you find the real cause • Address causes, not just symptoms • Build solutions that prevent problems from coming back IMPACT | Deliver Meaningful Results • Focus on work that moves the needle • Track and share your impact • Make your value visible to decision-makers AI | Stand Out with New Skills • Learn and use AI tools to boost your productivity • Automate routine work and teach others what you learn • Become the go-to resource for new technology The promotion paradox: Companies promote based on performance, not potential. But most people perform at their current level, not the next one. The breakthrough insight: Start doing the work before you get the job. The title will follow the behavior, not the other way around. What skill helped you get promoted recently? Drop it in the comments if I missed one. And before you go... ♻️ Share to help others earn their next promotion 🔖 Save this so you can check back on your progress 🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more leadership insights

Many professionals think becoming a Vice President is a reward for being the hardest worker or best performer. It isn’t, VP promotions are trust decisions. Leadership is asking one question: Can this person think at the enterprise level without supervision? To make that shift, four things need to change. 1️⃣ Manage tradeoffs, not just projects Directors report progress, but VPs decide where resources go, what risks to take, and what priorities matter most. Instead of giving updates, bring options and the tradeoffs behind them. 2️⃣ Own business outcomes Directors manage functions, but VPs own outcomes like revenue, margin, risk, and market positioning. Your language should move from team delivery to business impact. 3️⃣ Behave like a VP peer Executives watch how you handle pressure. Can you hold tension without escalating? Disagree without becoming defensive or absorb pressure without transmitting panic? That’s what signals you belong at the table. 4️⃣ Get strategic exposure Visibility isn’t about ego; it’s about being in the rooms where strategy and risk decisions are debated. Because those conversations define who gets trusted next. Here’s the real truth: People aren’t promoted because they’re ready. They’re promoted because leadership already believes they operate with VP-level risk tolerance. Directors optimize performance, VPs absorb risk. Comment ELITE for my newsletter where I break down the corporate dynamics most professionals learn years too late 📩 #leadership #careeradvice #corporatelife #careerstrategy #executiveleadership

7 Rules from the Hidden Playbook for VP Promotions That got my client a VP role with a 35% hike in 155 days. (She’s now a Tech VP at a top global firm in Singapore) Just like 85% of high performers stuck in: ➟ Politics they can’t win ➟ Invisibility despite results ➟ Promotions that get delayed She spent months questioning her worth. Frustrated, exhausted and undervalued - she almost quit. Until she found me. I built a custom pathway that led her from doubt and invisibility… to a VP title in 155 days. These are just 7 of the shifts from that pathway, that changed everything for her: 1. Engaging senior leadership as the expert Before our work together: She waited to be the “go-to” only when needed. After we started working together: She courageously steered key discussions with powerful leadership presence. 2. Communicating to influence (not inform) Before: She gave updates, hoping her work would “speak for itself.” After: She aligned her value and results with what senior management cared about. 3. Seeding her value early, consistently Before: She humbly delivered results "hoping" to be recognized and rewarded. After: She planted seeds (communicated wins and value) early, and at every step, authentically. 4. Expanding her value beyond her circle Before: Her team knew her value, but no one else did. After: She networked strategically, aligning with cross-functional leaders. 5. Prioritizing strategic wins Before: She was burnt out trying to please everyone, taking on every task to prove her worth. After: She focused on 2 high-impact projects tied to business goals – and let go of what didn’t serve her growth. 6. Speaking up with confidence Before: Sat tongue-tied in meetings, second guessing herself even when she knew the right thing to say. After: Led discussions, sharing bold insights early and engagingly. 7. Engineering her promotion story Before: Hoped her boss would notice and advocate. After:  She initiated and sustained the promotion conversations, consistently. ➟ We aligned her wins with what leadership expected from a VP. ➟ She followed up with evidence of impact, reinforcing her readiness at every step. ➟ She ensured her value was visible to all key stakeholders, not just her boss. As a result, she: 🔹 Outpaced political peers. 🔹 The leadership team who once ignored her now sought her insights. 🔹 Became the name discussed for promotion before the role opened. 🔹 Secured her VP role with intention and confidence – not hope. She didn’t just stumble into these shifts. We engineered them together. 📌 Through my signature Leaders Rise framework for leadership presence, communication, and stakeholder influence, perfected from 10 years of coaching leaders successfully. You don’t learn this in office leadership programs. You don’t learn this in B-school. But you can learn it – now. I work with senior leaders who are ready to go all in, and get real results. DM me if that's you.

I asked a Director what was blocking her promotion and I haven't been able to stop thinking about her answer. "People see me as an executor. Not an orchestrator." I've been doing this work for 20 years and I've never heard it described so perfectly. This is what she meant. An executor delivers. They hit their numbers. They solve the problems in front of them. They are reliable, consistent, and indispensable. An orchestrator thinks. They see the system, not just the task. They bring people together across functions. They shape strategy before it becomes execution. The challenge is: Organizations need executors to run. But they promote orchestrators to VP. And the transition from one to the other isn't about working harder or delivering more results. Directors already have the results, tenure and the capability. But we need to build the perception that matches it. That's the only difference between a great Director and a VP. Save this if it describes where you are right now.