Are you seen as a doer, or a strategic leader?

Your answer to that question reveals a lot about your personal brand within your organization.

Every successful organization relies on strong tactical experts and strategic leaders. Both are essential, and if you excel in execution, your company likely values your contributions.

In fact, if you’re a strong tactical employee, you’re probably rewarded with more responsibility, greater access to projects, and increased trust from leadership.

But if you want to be rewarded with promotions, salary increases, and leadership opportunities, you’ll also need to brand yourself as a strategic leader.

In other words, what got you here won’t get you there.

How do I know this? Because I lived it.

For years, I excelled as a doer. But it wasn’t until I branded myself as a strategic thinker and strong leader that I advanced into senior-level roles.

If you are ready to step into a more senior role, you’ll want to work on your brand, too.

Here’s how to get started:

✅ Use your 1:1s to showcase strategic thinking. Don’t just list what you’re working on (that can go in an email). Instead, discuss business challenges, propose solutions, align your work with company goals, and talk about your career path.

✅ Speak up in meetings. Unmute yourself. This doesn’t mean you talk just to hear yourself talk, but leadership can’t get a sense of you if you’re always off camera and on mute. Start by acknowledging the work of your colleagues, asking questions and engaging in high-level conversations.

✅ Position yourself as someone who drives results, not just completes tasks. When discussing your work, focus on impact: What problem did you solve? What measurable outcomes did you achieve? How did your efforts move the business forward? Again, it’s less about the boxes you check each week and more about the strategy and results.

✅ Expand your visibility beyond your direct team. Strong leaders influence across departments. Look for ways to collaborate cross-functionally, share knowledge, or take part in company-wide initiatives. Or, simply show interest in your colleagues’ lives and work. I know this is more challenging in a virtual environment, but your relationships are the key to your next opportunity.

✅ Develop executive presence. Leaders don’t just do the work—they inspire people and build trust. Work on communicating with clarity, making decisive recommendations, showing empathy, having crucial conversations, and carrying yourself with confidence—not ego.

✅ Mentor and guide others, even before stepping into a formal leadership role. Leadership isn’t just about managing people. Offer guidance, support colleagues, and position yourself as someone who helps elevate the team.

👉 These are the exact shifts I made that helped me move into senior leadership roles.

Looking to Position Yourself for Your Next Career Move?

I help high-achieving professionals develop the strategic and leadership skills needed for career advancement. Let’s map out your next step (promotion, new role, new company, pivot, start your dream business … you name it) together.

📅 Book a free career coaching consultation call with me today.