Management Consultant | Coaching managers to transition from middle management stagnancy to senior leadership flourishing | DM "CONSULT" to get started

You’re a mid-level manager doing everything right, but still watching others move into senior roles ahead of you.

The truth is, most mid-managers get stuck at the same place: doing great work, but still being seen as the executor, not the strategic leader. 
Not the one with vision. 
Not someone decision-makers view as executive material.

I’m Marija, and for almost 20 years, I’ve helped Fortune 500 management teams bridge the gap between "get the stuff done" and "trusted advisor". I’ve learned that breaking into senior leadership has very little to do with more credential and everything to do with how you're perceived.

That’s why I created the Pathway to Senior Leadership workshop. 

In it, I’ll show you:
	• The career mistakes that quietly keep managers stuck in the middle
	• How to advocate for yourself without waiting for permission
	• And how to lead with influence, so the right people champion your next promotion
	
If you're tired of being overlooked, this is the strategy you've been waiting for. 

A clear, actionable plan to help you move into senior leadership in months, not years.

Being confident doesn't mean you have to be loud.
Being humble doesn't mean you're unsure.
 
Great leaders strike that balance.
They lead with quiet strength, not ego.
 
But how do you know if you're truly growing into that kind of leader?
 
Here are 10 uncommon signs you’'e becoming a humble but confident leader:
 
1/ You say "I don’t know" without panic or pause
↳ That honesty creates space for collective problem-solving.
 
2/ You let your team make mistakes you'd rather avoid
↳ Trusting their growth matters more than short-term perfection.
 
3/ You celebrate the hard truths your team hesitates to share
↳ Because growth starts where comfort ends.
 
4/ You invest in your team's narrative more than your own
↳ Their wins become your legacy, not your trophies.
 
5/ You ask questions you don't already know the answers to
↳ Vulnerability fuels your curiosity, not insecurity.
 
6/ You're comfortable being the last to speak in the room
↳ Because you know the best ideas often come after thoughtful silence.
 
7/ You expect discomfort as the price of change
↳ And you stay steady when everyone else wants to sprint or freeze.
 
8/ You quietly prepare for resistance, not applause
↳ Your confidence grows from knowing your convictions will be tested.
 
9/ You monitor your ego carefully
↳ Not to suppress it, but to channel it when it can serve the team’s vision.
 
10/ You manage your energy, not just your time
↳ Knowing when to lean in, and when to step back, is leadership muscle.
 
💡 Pro Tip: The confident humility of a leader isn't a mask you put on.
It's the result of deep self-awareness and relentless practice.
 
If you're seeing these signs in yourself, you're on the right path.
 
What’s the most surprising sign of humble confidence you've seen in a leader?
 
Share your story below ⬇️

Marija Stevanovic

You know what's worse than underperforming?       
 
Giving 100% and still being questioned.
Still being dismissed.
Still being unseen.
 
You hit targets.
You cover for others.
You lead with integrity.
 
But all they see is:
🧷 A moment of failure
📉 A decision they didn't make
📋 Admin work they dump on you to feel in control
 
You're told: "You're accountable for the team."
But when you act like it?
They ask why you acted at all.
 
And here's what's worse:
 
They know you're ten steps ahead.
But they need to see you shaken.
So they provoke.

Delay.
Discredit.
Because it feeds the illusion that they still hold the power.
 
You think this only happens in toxic orgs?
 
Nope.
This is everywhere leadership goes unchecked.
 
It's what happens when former top performers are handed teams
not because they can lead,
but because someone once told them they should.
 
And now, to protect their legacy,
the system protects them.
 
Mid-managers, this is your early warning:
📍When praise is political
📍When trust is conditional
📍When power is weaponized to belittle
 
Here's how to start fighting back, strategically:
 
1️⃣ Shift from compliance to clarity
Stop reacting. Start defining.
Clarify your role, your authority, your boundaries and stick to them.
 
2️⃣ Track outcomes, not opinions
Don't argue with narratives. Document impact.
Show your wins in metrics, not emotions.
 
3️⃣ Leverage power, don't chase it
Use your influence sideways and upward.
Quiet allies > loud approvals.
 
4️⃣ Make yourself visible beyond the noise
Start shaping how you're seen, not just by your team, but by the business.
Brand yourself on performance, not proximity.
 
💜 Like if this hits a nerve 
♻️ Share with someone quietly battling bad leadership

Somewhere along the way…
"Valued" started to feel like used.
 
And here's the quiet truth inside corporate walls:
 
➡️ You can be essential.
➡️ You can be respected.
 
And still be invisible.
 
I've coached too many professionals who only realize this after it's too late.
 
They all say the same thing:
"I did everything right. And still got passed over."
 
Let's look closer at who corporate forgets:
 
↳ The high performer who never self-promotes
↳ The loyal one who trains their replacement
↳ The smart one who never interrupts
↳ The quiet one who keeps the team steady
↳ The kind one who never gets credit
 
One day you're "our most reliable manager".
The next, you're a name on an org chart no one defends.
 
So what do you do when the system rewards visibility over value?
 
This is what actually works:
 
1️⃣ Stop over-functioning to prove your worth
→ The work won't love you back. But you still can.
 
2️⃣ Replace "I'm fine" with real self-advocacy
→ No one reads minds. They promote the visible.
 
3️⃣ Say what you want: clearly, early, often
→ Especially in rooms where silence feels safe.
 
4️⃣ Track your wins like you're writing your next offer
→ Because you might be.
 
5️⃣ Build leverage outside the system
→ Visibility grows when your value isn't locked in one title.
 
None of this is easy.
All of it is yours to claim.
 
Your worth isn't up for review.
Not this quarter. Not ever.
 
💜 Like if this resonates
♻️ Repost if you're done being invisible and ready to own your value

The most dangerous kind of leader?
 
The one who looks successful but feels invisible.
 
And no, they don't lack skills.
They simply stopped being themselves.
 
Leadership drift isn't loud.
It starts subtly:
 
🔻 They mirror the exec who talks over everyone
🔻 Copy the VP who leads by fear
🔻 Adopt the tone their mentor used on them
 
They don't question it,
Because those models work.
Or so it seems.
 
But here's what eventually sets in:
 
❌ You're not leading - you're performing
❌ You're not respected - you're drained
❌ You're not growing - you're disappearing
 
This is how promising leaders burn out.
 
They shrink their voice to fit the room.
Lose influence trying to sound "senior".
Wear a mask until it cracks under pressure.
 
Real leadership isn't mimicry.
It's not about fitting in.
It's about showing up as you, consistently.
 
Because the leaders people follow?
 
Aren't the ones trying to be in power,
But the ones others feel powerful around.
 
So what will you choose?
 
The image of leadership, or the impact of it?
 
DM me "MIDDLE" if you're done trying to look like a leader
(and ready to become one worth following)
 
💜 Like if this sounds familiar
♻️ Share with a leader ready to lead uniquely

I used to think growth came from
chasing "More"
 
More meetings
More visibility
More projects
 
This led to decent results:
Promotions, pay raises, more responsibility.
 
But I still felt stuck.
Like I was moving, but not upward.
 
Something had to change.
 
Then I realized:
To become who I wanted to be,
I had to stop being who I was.
 
That shift is hard.
Because becoming someone new
means letting go of who's familiar.
 
5 actions that helped:
 
1/ Define your future self
Get specific. Who do you want to become in 3-5 years?
 
2/ Rewire your decision filter
Only say yes to what future-you would choose.
 
3/ Embrace the stretch
If it feels unfamiliar, you're growing. Stay with it.
 
4/ Audit your identity anchors
What habits, roles, or labels are keeping you small?
 
5/ Normalize internal discomfort
Every version upgrade starts with internal resistance.
 
Be patient with yourself.
 
You're not just changing roles.
You're becoming someone you've never been.
 
What version of you are you stepping into?
 
📍 Ready to lead from purpose, not pressure?
Join my Pathway to Senior Leadership workshop 
and align who you are with how you lead:
https://lnkd.in/dt2CBTQU

Image credit: @goldiealexx on Instagram

I used to think doing all the right things was leadership.
 
That if I worked harder, I'd get promoted.
That if I proved myself again, I'd finally be seen.
That if I was in every room, I was moving up.
 
But not every race leads where you think it does.
Some just run you in circles.
 
Because at some point, being the go-to stops being impressive
and starts becoming invisible.
 
If you're stuck solving, sprinting, and still not stepping up,
these 5 mindset shifts might help you exit the middle:
 
1/ Trade being needed for being known
Staying busy keeps you useful, but not necessarily visible.
 
- Who sees the impact of your work?
- Who can name what you're best at?
- Where are you known for insight, not output?
 
2/ Ask for direction, not just feedback
Feedback helps you adjust. Direction helps you ascend.
 
- What roles are above you, and what do they actually need?
- How are senior leaders evaluated?
- What would someone two levels up say about your leadership?
 
3/ Step out of your lane
You don’t grow by staying put. You grow by playing bigger.
 
- Take on projects that cross teams.
- Speak up in conversations that feel one level above.
- Get comfortable not being fully ready.
 
4/ Let go of being the fixer
Fixing earns points. But foresight earns trust.
 
- Track what keeps breaking.
- Raise the flag early, not after the fire.
- Shift from action to anticipation.
 
5/ Redefine leadership
Leadership isn't about being busiest, it's about building belief.
 
- Influence without title.
- Champion change before you're asked.
- Be the reason your team sees what’s possible.
 
Being great at your job won't get you out of the middle.
It'll keep you in it.
 
Want to grow?
Stop racing to prove you're ready.
Start leading like you already are.
 
Wanna know how? 
Register for the final 2025 edition of my Pathway to Senior Leadership workshop:
https://lnkd.in/dt2CBTQU

Image credit: @WisdomMadeEasy on Insta

Last week, my friend closed her laptop mid-meeting and said:
"Thanks, I'm done."
 
She was the fixer.
The fire-fighter.
The first one in, last one out.
 
But after all that?
 
- No promotion
- No recognition
- No real growth
 
And that was not the hardest part.
It was fighting the same fight, with the same people, and getting nowhere.
 
Here's what happens when you stay too long in the wrong room:
 
🚫 You confuse endurance with progress
🚫 You call exhaustion "dedication"
🚫 You trade self-respect for misplaced loyalty
 
Five years ago, she would've doubled down.
"Work harder" was her default setting.
 
But she finally saw the truth:
 
She wasn't stuck because she lacked talent.
She was stuck because she wasn't seen.
 
And this time?
 
She chose herself.
 
Not because it was easy.
Because staying would've cost more than walking away.
 
Ask yourself:
 
→ Am I growing, or just grinding?
→ Am I respected, or just reliable?
→ Am I heard, or just held back?
 
Burnout shouldn't be your exit strategy.
Clarity should be.
 
If your future self could talk to you now,
they'd call this move brave.
 
So should you.
 
💜 Like if this resonates
♻️ Repost if you're done being invisible and ready to own your value

Your title shows your role.
Your stories show your leadership.
 
Grazie, Marco Zima Simonella, for the visual and the inspiration behind this one.
If you're not already, follow him for sharp leadership insights.
 
You lead meetings.
You manage outcomes.
You deliver results.
 
But real influence?
It's not built in your deliverables.
It's revealed in your storytelling.
 
The best senior leaders I know don't rely on polished decks.
They rely on stories that stick.
Not louder, just deeper.
 
They tell stories that:
→ Create belief when alignment is hard
→ Make people feel the mission, not just hear it
→ Turn risk into rallying points
→ Stay with you long after the meeting ends
 
Because storytelling isn't about a stage.
It's about moments like:
→ Owning a failure that shaped your voice
→ Naming the quiet win that kept the team going
→ Casting vision that others choose to carry
 
I've seen executives with no followership.
And mid-level leaders who shift entire rooms with a story.
 
The difference?
One recites metrics.
The other makes meaning.
 
Because decks fade.
Strategies shift.
But stories?
 
They spread.
They become your reputation, your leadership brand, your legacy.
 
No one remembers the project name.
They remember how you made them feel.
 
👉 What story are you telling that people want to follow?
 
♻️ Repost if you know storytelling beats status
➕ Follow for more strategic leadership shifts

You may never get the title you've earned
You may never lead the team you built
You may never drive the vision you shaped
 
But here's what you will get:
 
More tasks stacked on your plate.
More meetings run by leaders who don't listen.
More years watching others rise on your work.
 
Corporate is full of managers keeping things afloat
Yet somehow, they stay boxed in,
While those with less depth steer the ship.
 
Everyone tells you: "Be a team player" to get ahead.
But you're watching others skip steps, speak louder, and take the credit.
While you carry the weight and stay silent.
 
So you ask yourself: if you exceeded expectations,
Led through every fire,
And coached without recognition,
 
Why does progress feel blocked?
Why do others lead while you keep things running?
 
After watching this cycle repeat, I've learned the real story:
No one's coming to hand you your next chapter.
 
1/ Begin with hard truth
What are you allowing to continue?
Because quiet acceptance becomes your ceiling.
 
2/ Kill the fantasy of the perfect plan
There's no script that guarantees growth.
Only choices that demand clarity.
 
3/ Trade comfort for control
Growth at this level needs a leap.
Not more patience, but more power.
 
You're at the crossroads.
 
Keep holding up broken systems.
Or step into the leadership you've already earned.
 
You choose.
 
Register for my Pathway for Senior Leadership workshop:
https://lnkd.in/dt2CBTQU
 
New date:
December 3rd, 5-6 PM CET

If no one is saying your name in senior rooms, you stay stuck in the middle.
 
You don't get promoted just for doing the job well.
You get promoted when someone senior decides you're ready for more.
 
I used to think being dependable was the way up.
That if I stayed consistent and patient leadership would notice.
But that mindset kept me circling the same level.
 
Real traction started when I stopped relying on being seen,
and started building real advocates.
 
Because at mid-level, doing good work gets you stability.
But advocacy gets you elevation.
 
Here's what happens when you secure senior-level support:
 
1️⃣ You stop waiting for recognition
 ↳ They bring your name up before you even ask.
 
2️⃣ You stop guessing what matters
 ↳ They tell you how decisions are actually made.
 
3️⃣ You get early access to bigger opportunities
 ↳ Before they're opened to everyone else.
 
4️⃣ You shape perception, not just performance
 ↳ They help frame your value at the right level.
 
5️⃣ You stop climbing solo
 ↳ And start getting pulled into the room that matters.
 
If no one senior is betting on you, it's not a promotion path.
It's a plateau.
 
Find someone who sees your rise as a win for them too.
 
Tag a manager ready to move up👇

Picture credit: @leadershipfirst on Instagram
 
💜 Like if this hits 
♻️ Share with someone stuck solo 
➕ Follow for more on rising with strategy, not hope

The scariest place to be?
 
In the same position
while everyone else is growing.
 
You're fixing problems.
They're building futures.
 
You feel useful.
But also… stuck.
 
That was me for years:
The go-to fixer
The dependable one
The safety net
 
But not the one
moving forward.
 
Until I asked:
What would it look like
to build, not just patch?
 
That question changed everything.
 
Because no one promotes the firefighter
while the builders move on.
 
Here's how to stop it:
 
1/ Write down the version of your role today
2/ Write the one you want next year
3/ Ask if your current path gets you there
4/ Define the gap. Then close it yourself
5/ Remember: you are the architect. No one’s coming to upgrade it for you
 
Here's the truth that reframes everything:
 
Your "indispensable" role
might be what's keeping you in place.
 
Being useful is not the same
as being irreplaceable.
 
Build your career like you'd build a business:
with a path, not just output.
 
🔥 Save this if you've been stuck in the same seat too long.
 
👉 Step into the final 2025 edition of the Pathway to Senior Leadership workshop:
📆 November 24, 5 PM - 6 PM CET
🔗 Link to register: https://lnkd.in/dt2CBTQU

Stop calling yourself a leader if you're not leading with proof.
 
If you stand for something, show it.
Even when it's easier to stay silent.
Quiet ≠ credible.
 
The workplace is full of people wearing leadership titles.
But they don't model clarity.
They don't give direction.
They don't make decisions.
 
And it's not really due to lack authority.
It's because their values disappear under pressure.
 
But real leadership doesn't vanish when it gets inconvenient.
 
When you skip alignment with your values:
→ You confuse the people you're trying to lead
→ You build a reputation you can't live up to
→ You lose respect before you've earned authority
→ You stall your path to senior roles
 
The uncomfortable truth?
You don't earn leadership by pitching potential.
You earn it by living it daily.
 
Some managers rely on empty ambition.
They repeat buzzwords.
They say all the right things.
But they never show the receipts.
 
You're not them.
You're ready for senior leadership.
 
And the people who make it there?
→ They communicate with proof, not promises
→ They lead by example before asking others to follow
→ They back up every pitch with lived alignment
 
Stop using the title if you're not doing the work.
Stop hoping values are implied.
Stop mistaking ambition for leadership.
 
Be the leader.
Let your values speak before you do.
 
👉 Who needs to see you show up as the real version today?
 
Last chance to register for the next week's workshop:
https://lnkd.in/dt2CBTQU

Not every breakdown is loud.
Some happen in silence, right in the middle.
 
Mid-level managers carry the most invisible weight.
 
And over time, even the strongest glue breaks
when stretched without direction.
 
They're balancing three forces every day:
📍 Leadership's evolving priorities
📍 Their team's ground-level realities
📍 Their own career momentum
 
And beneath all of it, a quiet question grows louder:
"Am I still aligned with where this company is going?"
 
I've seen high performers stall not from burnout,
but from a slow drift into misalignment.
 
One feels exhausted.
The other feels lost.
 
Misalignment doesn't just lower performance.
It fractures belief.
 
Your strategy may be crisp.
Your slides may be clear.
But if your mid-leaders can't see themselves in the future you're building
they won't build it with you.
 
Ultimately, people stay when they grow with the company,
not just inside of it.
 
Where in your business is clarity missing from the middle?
 
👋 DM me if you're ready to become the clarity-driven decision maker 
your people can rally behind.

Mid-manager: I feel stuck.
 
Me: What do you mean?
 
Mid-manager: I've done everything right. But I have no idea what's next.
 
Me: Do you want to be a Director?
 
Mid-manager: Maybe. I don't even know if that's the right move.
 
Me: Are you energized by what you're working on?
 
Mid-manager: Honestly? No. I'm just… coasting.
 
Me: Can I be real with you?
 
Mid-manager: Please.
 
Me: You're not stuck. You've just never had the space, or guidance, to define what success really means to you.
So you're climbing a ladder you're not even sure you want.
 
Mid-manager: That hits hard…

………….
 
This is the quiet crisis for high performers.
 
They do what they're told success looks like.
 
But inside, it feels flat.
 
Why? Because no one taught you how to lead with purpose.
 
You were taught to:
📍 Get the job
📍 Climb the ladder
📍 Check the boxes
📍 Wait to be noticed
 
But here's what creates clarity and momentum:
 
1/ Get honest about what drives you
2/ Define what "success" looks like for you
3/ Audit your current role for alignment
4/ Discover the kind of leadership you're wired for
5/ Identify strengths you've been underutilizing
6/ Shift from autopilot to intentional choices
7/ Build a vision worth working toward
8/ Use that vision to shape your next step
 
When you lack direction, everything feels heavy.
Work becomes mechanical. Promotions feel empty.
 
But when you clarify purpose?
↳ You stop comparing yourself to peers
↳ You reconnect with confidence
↳ You become known for something that matters
↳ You create momentum that feels like you
 
Your next level is about alignment
with the work, the mission, and the version of you you’re becoming.
 
Wanna learn more?
Register to my Pathway to Senior Leadership workshop:
https://lnkd.in/dt2CBTQU
 
Re-scheduled for:
December 3rd, 5-6 PM CET

I used to think getting promoted meant learning how to play the game.
 
More visibility. Better politics. The right connections.
 
But real leadership growth doesn't start externally.
It starts with how you operate, day to day.
 
Here are 15 practical steps to help you grow into a senior leader:
 
1/ To build executive mindset: Think impact
↳ Ask: "What result does this drive, and how will we measure it?"
 
2/ To improve presence: Slow down
↳ Talk 20% slower in meetings to sound more confident.
 
3/ To grow trust: Deliver
↳ Do what you say. Every time. No reminders needed.
 
4/ To lead peers: Step in
↳ Especially when it's messy, cross-functional, or undefined.
 
5/ To influence others: Ask more
↳ Ask: "What's your biggest challenge this quarter?" Then listen.
 
6/ To shape culture: Model
↳ Set the tone in tough moments with calm, clarity, and action.
 
7/ To manage up: Anticipate
↳ Think 2 steps ahead of your manager, and show up ready.
 
8/ To increase visibility: Share progress
↳ A weekly update builds alignment across teams.
 
9/ To think strategically: Zoom out
↳ Spend 10 minutes reviewing how your work ties to business outcomes.
 
10/ To prioritize better: Say no
↳ Decline low-impact work that doesn't align with team goals.
 
11/ To lead meetings well: Plan ahead
↳ Know your points. Know your ask. Own the room.
 
12/ To gain buy-in: Speak their language
↳ Use their lens: time, money, and risk.
 
13/ To coach direct reports: Get specific
↳ Feedback is kind, direct, and tied to outcomes.
 
14/ To reduce chaos: Simplify
↳ Define your top 3 priorities, and make them known.
 
15/ To stay ready: Reflect
↳ End each week asking: "What did I lead well, and what will I adjust?"
 
Growing into senior leadership isn't about changing who you are.
 
It's about showing up with intention, until others see you that way too.
 
DM me "MIDDLE" if you're ready to lead like a senior before the title lands.
 
💜 Like if this resonates
♻️ Share with a manager stuck in execution mode
☑️ Follow for more insights on rising past mid-career

Mid-management isn't a milestone.
It's a transition phase, with an expiration date.
 
In consulting, I learned this early:
 
Projects end.
Roles shift.
And the next opportunity?
You don't wait for it.
You lead your way into it.
 
Your career should work the same way.
 
But too many get stuck perfecting their current role
when they should be preparing for the one ahead.
 
But here's where the real stall begins, quietly, and without warning:
 
You can be the most reliable person in the room and still get passed over.
You can deliver flawlessly and still feel invisible.
You can lead quietly and still watch others leapfrog you.
And execution alone stops working at this level.
 
That's how high performers get trapped in the middle
mainly since they never learned how to be seen as senior.
 
Here's how to stop circling the middle:
 
📍 Shape perception as intentionally as performance
📍 Lead beyond your title, own business outcomes
📍 Control your narrative before someone else does
 
If you've started to think of mid-management as "where you are"
get ready to stay there.
 
Your next level won't invite you.
You have to initiate it.
 
And if you're tired of doing everything right and still not moving up?
If you're ready to stop waiting and start rising?
 
This is exactly what we unpack inside my Pathway to Senior Leadership workshop.
 
🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dt2CBTQU
 
💜 Like if this re-centered your path
♻️ Share with a leader stuck in the waiting room
☑️ Follow for more career strategy that breaks the ceiling

The wrong move is often the most useful one.
You've probably had one.

The role that promised growth, but left you questioning your own value. 
I know I did, and it changed everything.
 
It looked like a step up.
Talked like a big opportunity.
Came wrapped in praise and promise.
 
But inside six months, I knew:
 
I didn't grow, I shrank.
My edge dulled.
My clarity blurred.
And the version of me I'd worked hard to build?
She started to vanish.
 
Here's what I wish I knew then:
 
The wrong move isn't a failure.
It's your fastest path to knowing what right looks like.
 
Because inside every misaligned role, you gain:
 
🔹 Proof that title ≠ alignment
🔹 A masterclass in leadership you’ll never emulate
🔹 A list of non-negotiables you now defend fiercely
🔹 The language to name red flags in seconds
🔹 The self-respect to walk away before you're erased
 
These aren't setbacks.
They're strategy.
Developed in frustration.
Sharpened in silence.
Built in the brutal middle, between who you were and who you're becoming.
 
If you’re mid-career and mid-questioning, stop asking:
 
👉 Did I mess up?
Start asking:
👉 What wisdom did I earn?
 
Because senior leadership isn't a prize for perfect moves.
It's the result of strategic recovery from the wrong ones.
 
Want to turn detours into direction?
 
Join my Pathway to Senior Leadership workshop.
We'll decode your missteps and turn them into momentum.
 
https://lnkd.in/dt2CBTQU

We live in a world driven by extreme ambition.
And I see it everywhere, from my daughter's ballet class to boardrooms.
 
Everyone's pushing for growth.
But few pause to ask: have we built the foundation for it?
 
This hits especially hard for mid-managers stepping into senior roles.
 
You're asked to lead bigger...
Without ever being shown how to lead better.
 
Here's why strong foundations matter more than you think:
 
1️⃣ Clarity beats speed
↳ If your team doesn't know the goal or the why, they're just staying busy, not growing.
 
2️⃣ Growth needs friction removed
↳ You can’t build momentum when every win comes with 3 blockers. Clear the path first.
 
3️⃣ Trust powers autonomy
↳ Without deep trust, you're micromanaging. With trust, your team takes ownership.
 
4️⃣ Feedback builds direction
↳ No consistent feedback = no consistent growth. People need to know what to improve and how.
 
5️⃣ Enablement multiplies effort
↳ Teams with the right tools, context, and support don't just execute, they evolve.
 
If you want to grow into senior leadership,
Stop sprinting toward outcomes.
 
Start by building the foundation that lets your team, and you, thrive.
 
Here's your chance to learn how:
Pathway to Senior leadership workshop
December 3rd, 5-6PM CET
 
👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dt2CBTQU

A reminder every mid-level manager needs:
 
You are your most important client.
 
You're trained to deliver for your team,
your boss,
your stakeholders.
 
But when was the last time
you delivered for you?
 
Most managers are high-performers for everyone,
except themselves.
 
↳ You drop everything to fix team issues
↳ You stay late to hit someone else's deadline
↳ You put growth off because "now's not the time"
 
But here's the reality:
 
If you neglect the relationship with yourself,
everything else starts to crack.
 
You'd never treat a key client like this:
 
⛔  Ignoring their long-term goals
⛔  Pushing off their development
⛔  Overloading their plate with no support
 
So stop doing it to yourself.
 
It’s time to shift:
 
Treat yourself like your top internal client.
 
➡️ Block time for your career, not just tasks
➡️ Protect your energy like it's billable
➡️ Set clear KPIs for your own development
 
That's how you grow with the business,
not just behind it.
 
Your team looks to you for leadership.
But you lead best when you're grounded,
developing,
and accountable to your own progress.
 
The work starts here:
📍 Build trust with yourself
📍 Reinvest in your future
📍 Show up like you matter
 
Because you do.
 
👉 What's one promise you've made to yourself this year?
 
💜 Like if this hits a nerve 
♻️ Share with a manager who needs this reminder

Most mid-managers believe they're being evaluated on performance.
 
They're not.
Not at senior levels.
 
They're being measured by something far harder to spot:
 
How quickly they evolve when everything shifts.
 
Here's what I mean:
 
✅ Last year's smartest leadership move? Might be useless now.
✅ Your hardest skill? Could be quietly depreciating.
✅ Your playbook? Built for a version of the business that no longer exists.
 
And senior leadership sees that long before you do.
 
I've watched brilliant mid-managers stay stuck
mainly because they kept polishing what used to work
instead of preparing for what's next.
 
They optimize today.
But they don't anticipate tomorrow.
 
And that's the gap.
 
The leap to senior leadership isn't about doing more.
It's about thinking further.
 
📍 Seeing the system, not just the task
📍 Reading shifts before they become storms
📍 Letting go of mastery to pursue relevance
 
Senior leaders aren't the best executors.
They're the fastest adaptors.
 
They evolve before they're forced to.
They adjust before they're asked.
They stop over-relying on what once worked and start building what will make them essential.
 
So if the work that once felt expansive now feels small, don't ignore that tension.
 
That's not burnout.
That's not boredom.
That's evolution.
And it's asking for your attention.
 
📍 Ready to turn that tension into traction?
Join my Pathway to Senior Leadership workshop and start rewriting your next chapter with clarity, confidence, and presence.
https://lnkd.in/dt2CBTQU
 
👇 What's one leadership habit you’ve outgrown this year?

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