The Promotion Myth

"I think I just need a little more experience."

I was sitting across from the hiring panel for yet another Field CTO opportunity at Microsoft.

The interview had gone well. At least, I thought it had.

A few weeks later, I got the call.

I wasn't selected.

Again.

I remember staring at my computer and reaching the same conclusion I'd reached every time before.

I need more.

More experience. More proof. More credibility.

More evidence that I belonged in the room.

So I did what high achievers do.

I got back to work.

Months later, I found myself in the exact same place.

Final rounds.

Strong feedback.

No offer.

That's when I started asking a different question.

What if the problem wasn't capability?

What if the problem was something else entirely?

WHAT

Most women I work with believe promotions are earned through capability.

Work harder. Deliver more. Collect more credentials.

Build a stronger track record.

Eventually someone will notice and you'll feel ready.

It's a logical belief but it’s also incomplete.

Because I've met incredibly capable women who are still holding back in meetings.

Still second guessing their decisions, waiting for permission they don't actually need and treating themselves like they're not ready.

WHY

A client once spent fifteen minutes telling me about a customer meeting.

The meeting had gone exceptionally well. The customer loved the conversation.

She'd built credibility and created trust. She'd moved the opportunity forward.

But that's not what she wanted to discuss.

There had been one question she couldn't answer. That's all she could see.

"I should have known that."

I remember smiling.

"Says who?"

She laughed and then she stopped. Because neither of us had an answer.

The real issue wasn't that she didn't know the answer.

The real issue was that she believed leaders are supposed to have all the answers.

One belief.

One story.

One invisible rule.

And suddenly an otherwise successful meeting felt like evidence she wasn't ready.

That's why capability isn't usually the thing holding women back.

The challenge often sits underneath the skill itself.

HOW

A few years ago, if you'd asked me what I needed to get to the next level, I would have had an answer ready.

More experience. A bigger role. A stronger track record.

Another reason to feel confident.

Then one day, I realized something.

Every time I achieved one thing, I replaced it with another requirement.

The goalposts kept moving.

Maybe you've done that too. Maybe you've told yourself:

"Once I have more visibility..."

"Once I lead a larger team..."

"Once I feel more confident..."

"Once I know a little more..."

"Once the timing is better..."

And maybe every time one of those things happened, the list got longer instead of shorter.

So this week, I want to leave you with a question:

What if nothing else needs to happen before you start trusting yourself?

Not because you've figured everything out. Not because you're certain or you have all the proof.

Just because you're far more capable than you've given yourself credit for.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

This question was at the heart of my first published feature article in Executives Diary.

The article is called Organizations Promote the Person Already Operating at the Next Level and explores what I learned after repeatedly reaching the final round for Field CTO roles at Microsoft, why capability wasn't the real issue, and how self-trust changes the way we show up as leaders.

If you've ever felt like you're one achievement away from being ready, I think you'll see yourself in this story.

👉Read the full article here

Until next week,

Jaspreet