You’re in the big meeting. All eyes are on you. A senior leader asks about your project, and you launch into a detailed, thorough explanation of how it all works… only to see their eyes glaze over.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. As leaders get more face time with the C-suite, they often get vague feedback like “You need to develop more executive presence” or “We need you to be more strategic.”
What does that even mean?
Let’s break it down.
Your Superpower Has Become Your Kryptonite
Rising leaders are usually promoted because they are experts. You know how things work, you can dive into the weeds to solve problems for your team, and senior leaders rely on you to confirm if their big-picture ideas are actually feasible on the ground. Your deep knowledge is your superpower.
But here’s the dilemma: in front of an executive audience, that same superpower can become your biggest weakness.
When you get bogged down in the details, you lose your audience and your credibility. The execs start to wonder if you can see the forest for the trees. To you, it feels like they don’t care about the complexities of the work. To them, it feels like you can’t connect your work to the bigger picture.
Speaking a Different Language
Your team needs you to be in the weeds with them, solving problems in real-time. They look to you for immediate answers and hands-on solutions.
Executives need something different. They operate at a 30,000-foot view, focused on outcomes, risk, budget, and strategy. They trust that you and your team have the details handled. When they ask a question, they aren’t usually looking for a play-by-play. They’re looking for the bottom line.
Trying to solve a complex problem live in a senior-level meeting can be misinterpreted as a lack of strategic thinking. The key is to learn how to leverage your expertise to set direction, not to have every single answer on the spot.
Your New Playbook for Executive Meetings
Instead of defaulting to a stream of details, pause and pivot the conversation by focusing on the desired outcomes. Before your next executive meeting, run through this mental checklist:
1. Is the end goal crystal clear? Your first job is to ensure everyone is aligned on what success looks like. Can you summarize the intended outcome in a sentence or two? If not, start there.
- Try saying: “Just to confirm, the primary goal we’re aiming for here is X. Is that right?”
2. Does the path make sense at a high level? Use your expert knowledge to stress-test the plan. Are there any major roadblocks (resources, team capabilities, technology) that could jeopardize the outcome? Flag the big risks, not the minor hurdles.
- Try saying: “The overall direction makes sense, but we should flag that timeline as a potential risk because of our current capacity limits.”
3. What decision is needed right now? Separate the critical information needed to make a decision today from the details that can be ironed out later. Don’t let the conversation get sidetracked by secondary issues.
- Try saying: “There are a lot of details we still need to work out here. For today’s decision, is it enough to know that we’re clear on the direction and have a plan in place?”
4. What can you take offline? When a detailed question comes up that you can’t (or shouldn’t) answer immediately, show command by taking ownership of the next step. This respects everyone’s time and positions you as a proactive leader.
- Try saying: “That’s the right question to be asking. Let me connect with my team to work through the specifics, and I’ll come back with a recommendation.”
Walk into your next senior-level meeting with this playbook. You’ll find it helps you bridge the gap between your deep knowledge and the strategic perspective executives are looking for, transforming the conversation from a detailed debrief into a true strategic partnership.