Are You a Stuck Director?

Let's get started!

1. How often does your boss's boss (or the executive level above you) hear about your key accomplishments?

Regularly - I make sure they're aware of my impact

Sometimes - when my boss mentions them

I'm not sure - I assume my boss shares upward

Never - the higher ups don't hear about my accomplishments

2. When you speak in leadership meetings, what typically happens?

People engage with and build on my ideas immediately

I'm heard, but discussion usually moves on quickly

Often, someone else restates my idea later and gets credit

I tend not to speak up in these meetings

3. If asked to describe your strategic impact, executives would most likely say:

They could cite specific strategic contributions I've made

They know I do good work in my functional area

They probably see me as tactically strong

I'm not sure they know what I do

4. Who actively advocates for your career advancement?

I have executive sponsors who create opportunities for me

My direct boss supports me when I ask

I have mentors who give me advice

Mainly just me advocating for myself

5. When presenting to senior leaders, you typically:

Lead with the strategic recommendation, then supporting data

Provide thorough analysis before getting to conclusions

Walk through all the work you've done to show credibility

Feel uncertain about the right approach

6. Your communication style in high-stakes meetings is best described as:

Confident and concise - I state my position clearly

Thorough and detailed - I want to cover all bases

Tentative with qualifiers - "I think", "maybe", "sort of"

Quiet unless directly asked for input

7. How comfortable are you making recommendations despite ambiguity and incomplete information?

Very comfortable - I make the best call with the available data

Moderately comfortable - I try to get more information first

Uncomfortable - I need thorough analysis before deciding

Very uncomfortable - I avoid these situation when possible

8. When you disagree with a senior leader's direction, you:

Share my perspective diplomatically but directly in moment

Raise my concerns privately afterward, one-on-one

Hint at concerns but don't challenge directly

Stay silent to avoid conflict or being seen as difficult

9. Where do you spend most of your time and energy?

Setting direction, developing strategy, and removing roadblocks

A healthy mix of strategy development and execution oversight

Mostly execution with some strategic planning

Deep in the tactical details and problem solving

10. When talking about your work, you most often describe:

Business outcomes and organizational impact

Projects completed and goals achieved

Tasks accomplished and processes improved

Activities and effort invested

11. Your relationship with organizational politics is:

I understand the landscape and navigate it strategically

I'm aware of dynamics but don't engage much

I find politics frustrating and try to avoid them

I wish they didn't exist; I just want to do good work

12. How do you approach influencing peers and cross-functional teams where you don't have direct authority?

I regularly influence outcomes through relationships and persuasion

I build relationships that enable collaboration when needed

I struggle when I don't have formal authority

I mainly work within my own team's scope

13. How clear are you about what's specifically needed for your next promotion?

Very clear - I have a documented plan and success criteria

Somewhat clear - I have general ideas about expectations

Unclear - I"m doing good work and hoping it's recognized

Very unclear - I don't know what's really expected

14. Career development conversation with your boss:

Are driven by me proactively every 8 to 12 weeks

Happen during annual or semi-annual reviews

Only occur when I explicitly request them

Rarely or never happen in any structured way

15. How do you honestly feel about your current career trajectory?

Energized - I'm actively building toward clear goals

Hopeful - I think things will improve with time

Frustrated - I'm working hard, but not advancing

I don't think about it much. I've just got my head down.

Okay, you're nearly done. We just need a few more details so we can send you your results!