🎙️Why being in the room isn't enough

🎖️ Getting invited into the meeting is an accomplishment, but it isn't the finish line.

Many leaders spend years working toward a seat at the table, only to discover that simply being present doesn't guarantee influence. The leaders who consistently shape decisions don't just bring information, they bring perspective.

In this episode of Command 2 Corporate, I explore the concept of leadership altitude and why the way you think is often more important than the position you hold. You'll learn the difference between tactical, operational, and strategic thinking, why some leaders plateau in their careers, and how to elevate your perspective so your voice carries greater influence in every room you enter.

Whether you're an aspiring leader, a new manager, or an experienced executive looking to sharpen your leadership, this conversation will challenge you to think beyond today's tasks and focus on tomorrow's impact.

🎯 In this episode:

🔹 Why access doesn't automatically create influence
🔹 The difference between tactical and strategic leaders
🔹 Why some high-performing managers struggle to reach executive roles

"Leadership isn't measured by how often you speak. It's measured by the value you add when you do, but people also have to value you to listen."

🎯 Key Takeaways:

🔹 A seat at the table creates opportunity, but influence is earned through the value of your thinking.
🔹 Tactical leaders focus on today's work. Strategic leaders focus on tomorrow's impact.
🔹 The questions you ask often reveal your leadership altitude more than the answers you give.
🔹 Real influence comes from helping people make better decisions, not from speaking the most.


🗣️  Like, subscribe, and comment below. You can find C2C on YouTube, TikTok, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts!

🔖  #executiveleadership  #professionaldevelopment  #Seatatthetable #leadershippodcast #strategicthinking

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Have you ever walked out of a meeting thinking I had the same idea they did? Or maybe you brought it up before and no one paid it any mind. Why did everybody listen when they said it instead of me? The answer usually isn't intelligence, it isn't experience, and it isn't politics. More often than not, it's how you're thinking. Today we're talking about one of the biggest differences between good managers and great executives: leadership altitude. Because getting invited into the room is one thing, becoming someone whose voice changes the direction of the room is something entirely different. Welcome to Command To Core. Why do some people get invited into important meetings but never become influential once they're there? Access is opportunity, but it's definitely not achievement. Being present doesn't automatically create value. Many leaders mistake attendance as if, well, maybe I've made it. I have some kind of influence. You know, I know that a lot of people work very hard early in their careers to kind of prove and say, I'm trying to make it, I'm trying to show people I belong in the seat. You know, senior leaders are asking different questions than everyone else, but at the same time, you can have some senior leaders that are asking those same questions, but no one's paying any attention. No one's looking their way, nothing. So it's then it's like it's being in the room just isn't enough. And it might say, well, what are what are executives looking for? But some of them are executives, but they still don't have that influence that can take them to the next level and actually reach that altitude. What's the difference between thinking tactically and thinking strategically? So let's take a look we'll talk through five foot view, what needs to get done today? Thinking about tasks, deadlines, problems, execution, that's gonna be your individual contributors. Now remember, I said individual contributors at that point. 50 foot. How do all these moving parts fit together? Thinking departments, resources, dependencies, processes, priorities. Now, when we get 50,000-foot view, what happens six months from now if we make this decision? So you're thinking more long-term, you're thinking business impact, customers, financial implications, risk, competitive advantages, long-term direction. That's what we're thinking about. So here's where many leaders might get stuck. But on the flip side of that, they might get stuck between thinking, you know, when you think about tactical versus strategic. However, there are some really good individual contributors that can make it to that executive level where people are listening, but all they were were extremely good individual contributors, lucked out, whatever the case may be, and they're there, and people pay attention, but you got those other ones that actually work hard to be in the room, have that same mindset, but no one's paying them any mind. What's the deal with that? You could be right there, and you could be right, and you could you could hear someone speak and say, I said that last week, I said that six months ago. But yet they look at the other person, oh my god, they're so great. Yeah, thanks for sharing. With we need more people like you, and you're like, they're not they're not just said that. But they almost like you know, when it can what we talked about, I think previously, uh, executive presence, but that ends up being like this cookie-cutter look feel of the person, and because they fit that mold, they hear them. You don't fit that mold, I don't hear you. But I'll digress, let's just get back to it. So, why do leaders plateau? This is where you know, I think people with uh operational mindset can sometimes get stuck. So plateau happens when people become experts, so they're just really kind of pigeonholed into you know just this one space, so to speak, and so people kind of keep them in that space. Now, that's not to say that they're not business thinkers, but people aren't hearing them, they're viewing them one way, and you know, I've been there myself where I'm very good at certain things, people don't want to see me elevate or elevate me, whatever the case may be at the time, but it's not like I don't have it, but they're not viewing me in that manner, and this is where I think sometimes we got to think about for anybody, when you feel like you're actually being stifled in a sense, like some good leaders may plateau because they're so caught up in being that individual contributor and just knowing one thing, but you have others that are like, hey, I'm going to, I'm trying to branch out, but you are viewing me only in this way. So you want to you don't want to see me excel, you don't want to see me leave, you may not even promote me, but you're gonna keep me around because you like what I can do for you. You you like the skills that I offer, you get all these things done, and it's like, but I have more to offer, you know. I am the person that is, you know, identifying problems and bringing, you know, offering solutions, you know, understanding metrics, understanding that we should be visualizing, that we should be looking long term, how to visualize, you know, our performance and things like that, and thinking about, you know, thinking down the line, you know, thinking having that strategic mindset, but then those around you, those leaders above, I don't want you, I don't need you there. I got enough of that, but I need you to keep doing what you're doing and just keep doing that really well. But then after a while, it's like, well, I know what I want, and you're kind of holding me back, and I know that I do want to have a seat at the table where I am driving that influence. Well, then it may be time that I leave and move on. And you might you might feel that that same way, like, you know, where's the value in what I'm trying to get across to you? You know, maybe I don't fit the mold of that executive presence, but it's not like I'm not a professional, not that I don't, you're just not hearing me or you're not viewing me that way to allow me to shine. And I think this is where, you know, if they don't have that, they're not valuing that, you know, you can only travel so long before you gotta say, well, you know what, I gotta go somewhere where I can have a shot to truly move up, you know, and and seat at the table. So, how do leaders start thinking like executives instead of, you know, can we? They ask, should we, instead of what's happening today, what's happening next year, planning long term. You know, if we're gonna be successful, you know, we're starting these initiatives, we're looking at where where would we be later on down the line? What need what do we need to implement now to be better off then? You know, and thinking further on down the line. What does my department need? Instead of saying what does my department need, it's more so what's best for the business. Now it could be, could be, I would still argue that it could be for what your department needs, but the outcome is for the business. So you're thinking about if we do this here, what will be the downstream effects? You know, how what who will be the recipients of what we do within this department? And I could be wrong, you know, people might say that you know there's a difference of opinion there. So you start to become, and I think this is goes back to people, you know, wanting to kind of move out of that space, grow, elevate themselves. If the value isn't there where you are, what are you doing to create, become maybe more marketable? And so think about somebody that's been in a company for a while, maybe they started in one position. I know a few people like this where they start in one department, they get a skill. After a few years, you're like, okay, I need to change it up. They transfer, get an internal move, and they go to another department. Now they're learning another skill, spend a few of these few years there, and it's like, oh, let me make them another move, learn some new skills, and you start to become this well-rounded, holistic person. And I think after a while, excuse me, that people will start to take notice. Because as while you're doing that, the key to that is relationships, that trust factor we've talked about many times before. But people start to recognize that weren't you over here, and they know that you're, you know, almost like a jack of all trades, you know many things, but that gives you a more well-rounded view of well, well, more well-rounded view for others that they see in you, but then also you as a person, as a as you develop and grow in the business that you're in. So you're not only pigeonholed into one space in one background, one uh field, whatever the case may be, you're learning different things. So you're learning a bits and pieces of finance, sales, marketing, operations, procurement, whatever the case may be, but you're getting big bits and pieces of everything so that when you are at the table, you have a more informed conversation. You know way more. And you can have, oh, I know a little bit about that, I can speak a little bit about that. I've been in situations where I'm I used to support teams with uh process mapping and problem solving, but in doing that, you learn about how the business operates. So then when people are asking questions, I would say, you know, I don't know this to be you know 100% true, but and I would share my opinion, and then I turn it over to maybe the leader of the subject matter expert and say, you know, what are your thoughts on that? And many times it'd be like, you know what, you're exactly right, and then they add to, but it's a good way to you know kind of interject and say, like, hey, I do know some things, and people be like, Wow, okay, making notes of that, you know, and that can hopefully get you have you get you an opportunity at uh in other rooms at other tables, so to speak. Executives rarely choose between good and bad, it's usually good and better. You would hope. You would hope, you know. Uh thinking different changes something else. So different does change, and are they willing to take that gamble on different? And sometimes different means when we think back to executive presence, can we not always get the mold and that not have that cookie-cutter person, that cookie-cutter look, that cookie-cutter speech, but take a gamble on something different that may make a difference in the organization? How does communication change and leadership altitude? Let me say that again. How does communication change as leadership altitude increases? So lower altitude communication is updates, tasks, activities, details, sometimes in the weeds. Higher altitude communication, risk, trade-offs, impact, recommendations, future, where so it should be. How many of us know leaders that are still into the details, still in the weeds, still wanting to know minor and still wanting to have control over that? The first thing I think is that's not your business. Why do you care? What does that matter? Why do you want to know that? That's the first thing I think. Stay in your lane. In the military, too many times we we talked about scanning your lane. So going back to way, way back quite a few episodes ago, we talked about when you're qualifying on your weapon, you're basically in a lane, you have your targets, everyone's kind of lined up in lanes, and they're firing at their target. And sometimes if people position themselves wrong, they'll think they're in their lane shooting at their target, but actually shooting at their battle buddies target in the next lane over. So now you're giving them all, giving them some extra rounds, extra, you know, marks to for them to qualify, and you have none. So it's like stay in your lane. Because if you're not in your lane, and you're in someone else's lane, well, whose job, who's doing whose job? Stay in your lane. But so many times it's like they want to get down there, going back to that individual contributor mindset. Well, let me show you how it's done. Well, it could be better if you just did it this way. I'm not interested. You know, I'm gonna give people the freedom to shine, they can produce what they want, you know, and kind of elevate people. You know, let them go forth and try to get it done themselves. So instead of something like we completed 95% of our training, our increased completion rate reduces compliant risk while shortening onboarding by two weeks. Same information, different altitude. That's pretty slick. I'm gonna say it again. This is a great example. So instead of we completed 95% of our training, you say our increased completion rate reduces compliance risk while shortening onboarding by two weeks. Same information, different altitude. But you know, to me that you know, it's something where you kind of gotta I don't want to say practice, but that's kind of the first thing that comes to mind. Like you gotta kind of change your mindset, you know, and really start to be intentional with what you say and really taking a step back. So I think whenever people have the time to prepare, they should just do, they should do just that. Prepare. Uh good way to to reflect that more is definitely in presentations, but you know, because the information would be displayed, but also having your cue cards or your points that you're going to talk about, they kind of express those same things. Um so, and then also when you get going into a meeting, you're invited to meeting and you have time to prepare. Maybe they're you're not giving a presentation, but you at least have some points that you like to share and speak to. But whenever you have a chance to be in a room, definitely take advantage of it. Some leaders mistake visibility for inference. So can getting access actually make leaders less effective? I mean getting access actually make leaders less effective. I guess it depends on how they take it. You know, some might mistake that, you know, I'm actually you know, if you're in the room, hopefully you're at a level where you're already some sort of people leader or in a position where you could have influence. But to say that can getting access actually make leaders less effective? I don't know. I'd have to think about that. I don't know, what do you think? Can getting access actually make leaders less effective? I guess it could be where they maybe focus on like one thing that we talked about last time is that performative leadership, where they're so caught up in I'm there, so now I'm gonna try to stay there and they become performers versus actually contributing anything. So it's so much of I'm there, let me be seen, let me talk over people and all of that stuff, and now you're caught up in the trap. Now you're becoming more performative than actually being a true leader and just you know staying grounded, real, and offering legitimate uh contributions to anything. So, you know, the goal shouldn't be just about being seen, it should be about being sought after, and that's the key. How do we actually get in a position when you're in the room where you're now sought after, where people want to come to you, they're seeking you out, and sometimes I think there's instances where you know you might have to go quiet, you might you might have to fall back just a bit and let them seek you out because maybe you were, you know, on those attempts to get out there, speak, share all those things, you know, maybe you didn't have that success. But people know that you are knowledgeable. Maybe you have to fall back, or you have to just see, let them come mute and say, hey, I need this. Like to come to you to say to a point where they're like, hey, can you come join this meeting? I need you to be able to speak to this. Now you can step back up and then hopefully get an opportunity to shine. You never know. So a reflection. Let's call this our leadership mirror. The next time you're invited into an executive meeting, ask yourself Am I contributing information everyone already knows? Or am I helping the room make a better decision? That's a good here's a challenge. During your next leadership meeting, don't speak first. Listen for the business problem everyone is trying to solve if that presents itself. And before you offer your opinion, ask yourself will what I'm about to say help this group make a better decision. If the answer is yes, speak with confidence. If not, keep listening. Leaders increase their influence not by speaking more, but by adding more value when they do. That's pretty pretty strong. Leaders increase their influence not by speaking, but by adding more value when they do. Okay. I mean, that's a quick and dirty one right there, but I think that was a pretty good one. Uh so until next time, lead with purpose, lead with courage, and I'll catch you next time. Okay.