How to Move From Qualified to Chosen

Susan Robertson
Oct 13
5 min read

My client said to me, “I’ve stayed loyal. I’ve delivered the numbers. I don’t play the political game, but I thought that was enough.”

It wasn’t said in anger. It was noted in quiet exhaustion. The kind of sentence you say when you’re tired of trying to figure out why your results aren’t getting noticed, why promotions keep slipping by, why you make it to the final 2-3 candidates, and why someone else is chosen over you.

I hear this sentiment more than you might think. I hear from clients who are brilliant, emotionally intelligent, are values-driven leaders, and are doing the right things, but they keep getting overlooked.

And almost always, the issue isn’t performance and results. It’s positioning. It’s being seen as the executive leader at that next level up.

“But I’m Strategic…”

In a recent Executive Edge Masterclass, I asked the participants one question: “What makes you different from others at your level?”

The responses came in fast. All earnest. All thoughtful. But all the same.

“I get results.”
“I’m strategic.”
“I build high-performing teams.”
“I’m collaborative.”

My response, as it always is:

“That’s great. But is every other qualified leader applying for that role.” Because here’s what most don’t realize:

At the senior level, sameness kills opportunity. Being good isn’t rare. Being remembered is.

Why Good Leaders Get Overlooked

Let me tell you about “the Quiet High Performer.” She was well-liked, led from the heart, and had created results year after year. But in performance reviews, she kept hearing:

“You’re such a valuable part of the team.”
“Be patient, we have something in mind for you.
“For now, we just need you to stay focused. We’ve got you covered.”

What sounded like compliments were actually a ceiling. She was reliable—but not seen as rising. And because she didn’t want to self-promote or “make it about her,” she stayed stuck in a loop of being essential but not elevated. She stayed stuck in a loop of being essential but not promoted.

This is why you need a strategy for moving beyond the performance ceiling and transforming yourself into that undeniable executive.

The Executive Value Shift:

I've written about the Executive Value Shift before. Being passed over doesn’t always mean you weren’t ready. Often, it means your value wasn’t fully seen, understood, or felt. The Executive Value Shift™ is about repositioning yourself from “reliable leader” to “undeniable asset.”

This shift happens through three steps:

Pillar 1: Package Your Repeatable Methodology

Most leaders have a method—they just don’t know how to articulate it. They solve problems instinctively, but can’t explain how they consistently create results.

And in the executive world, if it’s not repeatable, it’s not scalable. And if it’s not scalable, it doesn’t get you chosen.

3 Ways to Build It:

Reverse Engineer Your Last 3 Wins Ask: What were the key steps? How did you think through the challenge? What approach did you apply across different teams or markets?
Name Your Framework You don’t need a PhD to do this. It could be the “Bridge Method,” the “Align–Act–Accelerate Model,” or your “Executive Clarity Playbook.” Give your leadership a system. Systems get remembered.
Turn It Into a Slide or Talking Point In interviews, performance reviews, or stakeholder meetings leaders who can explain how they obtained results move to bigger rooms.

You’re not just a performer. You’re a method-based operator. Say so.

Pillar 2: Stop Sounding Generic. Clarify Your It-Factor (UVP)

If you say you’re strategic, collaborative, or results-driven… you’re not wrong. But you’re not memorable either.

Your It Factor is your Unique Value Proposition (UVP). This is what people remember when you leave the room. It’s the intersection of how you think, what you see that others don’t, and how you consistently create value in high-stakes situations.

3 Ways to Create Your UVP-It Factor:

Use the “From–To–Next” Exercise Identify: Where you are now (FROM) — e.g., “Quiet Contributor” Where you want to go (TO) — e.g., “Trusted Enterprise Leader” What must shift (NEXT) — e.g., “Speak with Authority” This is clarity in motion.
Write Your 15-Word Value Statement

Here is the format:

“I help [who] achieve [what] by [how].” Example: “I help regional teams drive $50M+ growth by aligning fractured systems and improving operational efficiencies.”

Name the Thing You Do Differently. Is it how you calm chaos in crisis? How you unify teams across regions? How do you translate complexity into momentum? Name it. Own it. That’s your It Factor.

Pillar 3: Strategic Positioning. Be Seen as the Executive You Are (Not the Title You Have)

One of the most significant gaps I see is between actual leadership and perceived leadership. A senior leader told me:

“I’ve done the work. I just assumed people saw it.” They didn’t.

Invisibility isn’t about lack of effort. It’s about the lack of visibility. And in this market, perception is positioning.

3 Ways to Show Up Strategically:

Rewrite Your LinkedIn About Section: No more boring bios. Frame your narrative around: What you do best, How you do it differently, The impact you create (with real proof)
Shift Your Language to Reflect Enterprise Leadership: Swap “helped with” for “led.” Replace “part of” with “architected.” Own your voice. Use executive language even if your title doesn’t reflect it (yet).
Gather Social Proof and Success Stories. Develop 3–5 results-driven narratives. Ask a past stakeholder or peer to provide you with feedback on your leadership impact. Use these as credibility anchors across your résumé, LinkedIn, and in interviews.

Final Life + Leadership Insight

You don’t need to become someone else. You need to stop hiding what makes you extraordinary.

You don’t need to self-promote. You need to self-articulate.

You don’t need to play politics. But you do need to be intentional about how others see, feel, and experience your leadership.

In leadership and in life, people remember distinction.

Create your executive value shift and establish your distinction and self-articulate.

Ready to Build Your Executive Edge?

If you’re ready to reposition yourself to be the apparent choice candidate or obtain that promotion, join me for my free Executive Edge Masterclass.

We’ll walk through: