Afleveringen
-
Your next promotion may already be getting decided in a meeting you were not invited to.
Most IT leaders who get passed over are not short on effort. They deliver, they lead, they put in the work.
The harder truth: the skills that made you the best operator are the same ones keeping you out of the executive seat. The business sees a technologist, not a leader. And no one ever explains how to change that.
That is the work I do. I help IT Directors and VPs make the jump to the executive level.
It starts with a short private diagnostic. It shows you which of the things holding you back is costing you the most, and where you stand against the leaders who already made the jump.
For the right fit, it opens into the Executive Leap Session:
A private 45-minute session, one on one with meI read your full diagnostic before we talkA straight read on where you actually standThe one or two things holding you back, specific to youThe move that matters next45 minutes with a former CIO, normally something leaders pay for. Take the diagnostic and find out where you stand.
Take the diagnostic → https://www.tingleleadership.com/
In this episode, I’m talking about one of the most important career shifts for technology leaders: the difference between having a mentor and having a sponsor.
A mentor talks to you.
A sponsor talks about you when you’re not in the room.That distinction matters because promotion decisions, talent reviews, succession planning, and executive conversations often happen behind closed doors. And when your name comes up, the question is not just whether you’re talented. The question is whether someone in that room knows you well enough to put their credibility behind you.
I’ll share the story of Jane, a Director of Technology who had strong results, strong respect, and real readiness for a VP role — but still kept getting passed over because the right senior leaders didn’t know her beyond her immediate manager.
Then I’ll show you how she built a real sponsor by becoming useful to the right executive, aligning her work with business priorities, and earning trust before the opportunity appeared.
In this episode, I’ll show you:
Why mentors are valuable but not enoughWhat sponsors actually do for your careerWhy promotion decisions happen before roles are postedHow talent reviews really work behind closed doorsHow to map the executives who matterHow to build sponsor relationships without asking for favorsWhy executive trust must be earned before the moment arrivesIf you’re a technology leader who keeps delivering results but still feels unseen, this episode will help you understand who needs to know you, who needs to trust you, and who needs to be willing to say your name when you are not in the room.
Timestamps
00:00 — Your promotion is being decided without you
00:20 — Who is speaking for you in the room?
00:39 — Why technology leaders get overlooked
00:54 — Why your manager and mentor may not be enough
01:29 — Supportive relationships vs advancing relationships
01:48 — What talent reviews actually look like
02:24 — Why someone must put credibility behind your name
02:41 — Mentor vs sponsor explained
03:12 — Why talented technology leaders stall
03:29 — Sponsors are built, not assigned
03:47 — Executive Leap diagnostic mention
04:04 — Jane’s story: ready but passed over
04:42 — Jane had a network, but no sponsor
04:59 — Mapping the executive landscape
05:20 — How Jane became useful to the right executive
05:55 — Building trust through consistent value
06:16 — How sponsorship led to the VP opportunity
06:47 — Step 1: Map the executives who matter
07:04 — Step 2: Align with their goals early
07:39 — Step 3: Earn trust before the moment arrives
08:13 — Mentors help you grow, sponsors help you advance
08:47 — Diagnostic and Executive Leap session
09:35 — Closing: stop waiting for your work to speak for itself -
Your work does not speak for itself. It never has.
In this episode, I talk about one of the biggest career myths holding technology leaders back: the belief that if you keep your head down, do excellent work, and deliver results, the right people will automatically notice.
That belief cost Sarah the CIO role.
Sarah had the track record. She had delivered major system migrations on time, under budget, and without major incidents. But when the promotion decision was made, Marcus got the role — not because he was louder, but because he was more visible in the right rooms, with the right people, having the right conversations.
I’ll explain why promotions are not just performance reviews. They are trust decisions.
And trust is built before the role opens.
In this episode, I’ll show you:
Why quiet excellence can make you invisibleWhy your work needs you to speak for itHow promotion decisions actually happenWhy executive visibility mattersHow to connect your work to business outcomesHow to become visible without braggingWhy the right conversations matter before the decision is madeIf you’re a technology leader with a strong track record but you’re still wondering why your results aren’t turning into bigger opportunities, this episode will show you what needs to change.
Subscribe for more leadership strategy, executive presence, and career growth advice for technology leaders.
00:00 — Sarah lost the role before the decision was made
00:18 — Marcus won because he was visible
00:34 — The lie: great work speaks for itself
00:49 — Why technology leaders get overlooked
01:06 — The “keep your head down” career myth
01:43 — Sarah’s story: excellent work, missed promotion
02:31 — How Marcus showed up differently
03:08 — Why Sarah didn’t get the CIO role
03:26 — How promotions actually work
03:42 — Promotions are trust decisions
04:00 — Quiet excellence makes you invisible
04:35 — Visibility without bragging
04:53 — Step 1: Connect work to business outcomes
05:27 — Step 2: Get into strategic conversations
05:59 — Step 3: Build executive visibility
06:32 — Your work does not speak for itself
06:55 — Why the right people need a clear picture of you
07:14 — Closing and subscribe call-to-action -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
Being the best technical expert in the room may be the exact reason you’re not getting promoted.
In this episode, I share the story of James, a senior technology leader with deep technical knowledge, a strong track record, and years of credibility — who was still passed over for a VP role.
Why?
Because he had become load-bearing.
He was the person everyone depended on when systems broke, deployments failed, or the architecture needed saving. But senior leaders didn’t see moving him as a promotion opportunity. They saw it as a risk.
I’ll explain why technical credibility gets you here, but won’t always get you there — and why the real shift is moving from operator to orchestrator.
In this episode, I’ll show you:
Why great technical experts get overlookedHow being indispensable can hurt your promotion chancesWhy executives think in business outcomes, not technical detailsHow to translate your work into revenue, risk, speed, and strategyWhat it means to move from operator to orchestratorHow to become visible in the conversations that shape your futureIf you’re a technical leader who feels stuck, overlooked, or invisible despite delivering strong results, this episode will help you understand the game you’re actually playing — and how to start playing it differently.
Subscribe for more leadership strategy, executive presence, and career growth advice for technology leaders.
Chapters
00:00 The hard truth about technical promotions
00:47 Why great technical people get overlooked
01:38 The pattern behind missed promotions
01:56 James’ story: too valuable to promote
03:04 Why expertise becomes a ceiling
03:55 Executives need business language
04:11 From operator to orchestrator
04:29 How James changed his leadership approach
05:34 The real promotion shift
06:08 Final takeaway for technical leaders
