Understanding Leadership Privileges and Perceptions

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵—𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲—𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. Look at any high-profile executive facing challenges today—whether it’s a legal battle, internal power struggles, or controversial decision-making. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱? 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼—𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱. I’ve coached leaders who have faced this firsthand: - 𝗔𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲—but in reality, an internal power struggle was distorting how they were seen. - 𝗔 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀—praised for efficiency by some, yet criticized for harming morale and innovation by others. - 𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻—where public perception, not actual performance, dictated how their leadership was judged. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻? - Power invites scrutiny. - Decisions have ripple effects. - A leader’s reputation isn’t just about what they do—it’s about what others believe they do. 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀—𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀. If you don’t shape your leadership story, someone else will. Perception gaps exist—your job is to close them. Actions speak louder than words, but words shape how actions are interpreted. Ask yourself: ✔️ Are you actively shaping how your leadership is perceived? ✔️ Are you paying attention to the noise—what’s being said about you at the water cooler? ✔️ Are you balancing execution with communication so your intent is crystal clear? Because in leadership, the story being told about you is just as powerful as the actions you take. How do you ensure your leadership is understood the way you intend? #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #StrategicInfluence #ReputationManagement #HighStakesLeadership #PerceptionMatters #CEOcoaching #OrdinaryResilience

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳? Many rising leaders believe doing excellent work is enough. They think if they deliver results, promotions and opportunities will naturally follow. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: perception shapes your leadership trajectory as much as, sometimes more than, performance.     Take Mike, a brilliant Director of IT. He consistently launched successful solutions, hit project deadlines, and led a loyal team. He assumed his results would speak for themselves. But when a VP role opened, Mike was overlooked. Why? Because senior leaders didn’t see him as a “big-picture thinker.” They saw him as tactical, not strategic. He never intentionally shaped how he was perceived outside his immediate team.       You don’t have to “play politics” or fake anything. But you do need to actively manage how you show up, in meetings, in communication, in the way you frame your work, so others connect you with the next level of leadership. This week, pick one area where you can proactively manage your executive perception. Can you - present your team’s achievements     as part of larger business goals? - speak up in a cross-functional meeting    to show your enterprise thinking? - ask for feedback on how others    perceive your readiness for VP or CxO roles? Remember, perception is a leadership strategy, not a vanity project. Strong leaders don’t just build impact. They build visibility. And that’s how they unlock the next level.   #ExecutivePresence #LeadershipPerception #CareerGrowth #UndeniableExecutive

Stepping into your first leadership role can be a daunting experience. I remember my first time leading a team, transitioning from being just another team member to the one calling the shots. Suddenly, everything I did seemed to be under a magnifying glass. Here’s a truth that might surprise you: as a new leader, you're now a minor celebrity. TMZ won’t be covering your every move, but your team will be watching closely. Every word you say will be scrutinized. What you choose to stay silent on will be analyzed. Your reactions to both good and bad news will have a significant impact. Why does this happen? Because you now have power, and with it comes the responsibility of influence. Your words and actions matter more than ever before. This can feel like a burden, but it’s also a privilege. This intense focus on your behavior is your chance to shine a light on what you value and to cast away what you don’t. Think of yourself as a lighthouse. Your guidance will help steer your team in the right direction. Next time you’re putting together a message, running a meeting, or having a 1:1, ask yourself: What do I want to highlight? How will I illuminate the right people and behaviors? Leadership is about using your influence to focus your team on what truly matters. How do you use the privilege of leadership to help your team focus? Share your thoughts in the comments 👇🏽 #Leadership #Management ♻ If you're open to it, repost to your network 🙏