530: Why You’re Still Operating One Level Below After the Promotion & How to Successfully Adapt Your Executive Presence

530: Why You’re Still Operating One Level Below After the Promotion & How to Successfully Adapt Your Executive Presence

Author: Laura Camacho February 9, 2026 Duration: 8:34

Click here if: You’re a senior leader who’s finally ready to level up, speak up, get recognised and nail that promotion…and you want to work with Laura Camacho to build your Executive Presence in the next 90-120 days.

Click here to pinpoint the specific area in your executive presence that’s keeping you invisible to senior leadership and guarantees you stay working hard as a pack mule who never gets promoted. Download the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment.


If you're a high-performing leader who preps endlessly but still hesitates to speak up at the table, this episode reveals the exact reason you're being overlooked — and how communication, not competence, is now your career driver.

By the end of today’s episode you’ll know:


🔥Why over-preparing is a leftover habit that’s now working against you.

🚀The 3 executive behaviors that signal leadership — and have nothing to do with technical skills.

🎯 How to shift from sounding smart to sounding strategic — so you're trusted, not just respected.


Listen now to learn how to match your communication to your title and finally get recognized at the level you’ve already earned.


Are you still leading with data instead of decisions? Waiting to be invited to speak instead of shaping the narrative? If you’ve been promoted but feel like you're being overlooked for the next opportunity, you're not alone—and it’s not a skills problem.


That’s why I built the Executive Presence Mastery System—to help senior leaders like you stop relying on technical perfection and start building trust through strategic communication. Because presence, judgment, and communication now make up 70% of your leadership evaluation.


So if you're ready to stop playing small and start signaling real leadership, go to the show notes, click the first link you find, or visit www.speakupwithlaura.com/speakup to schedule a time that works for you. I'd love to help you close the presence gap once and for all.


🔗 Research & References Mentioned in This Episode

🎯 Executive Presence & Leadership Perception

  1. Carol Kinsey GomanThe Silent Language of Leaders
  2. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10401591-the-silent-language-of-leaders
  3. Center for Talent InnovationExecutive Presence (2014 Study)
  4. https://www.talentinnovation.org/_private/assets/ExecutivePresence-CTI-Research.pdf
  5. Bain & CompanyWhat Separates Top Leaders
  6. https://www.bain.com/insights/what-executive-presence-means-and-why-it-matters/

💬 Confidence, Communication & Visibility

  1. Katty Kay & Claire ShipmanThe Confidence Code
  2. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18170143-the-confidence-code
  3. McKinsey & LeanInWomen in the Workplace (2023 Report)
  4. https://womenintheworkplace.com/
  5. Harvard Business Review – “Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?”
  6. https://hbr.org/2013/08/why-do-so-many-incompetent-men

🧠 Decision-Making & Senior Leadership Dynamics

  1. Harvard Business ReviewWhat Sets Successful CEOs Apart
  2. https://hbr.org/2017/05/what-sets-successful-ceos-apart
  3. MIT Sloan Management ReviewStrategic Decision-Making Under Uncertainty
  4. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/strategic-decisions-under-uncertainty/
  5. Stanford GSBThe Communication Behaviors of Effective Leaders
  6. https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/communication-behaviors-effective-leaders

⚙️ Communication for Technical Leaders

  1. National Academy of EngineeringChanging the Conversation: Messages for Improving Public Understanding of Engineering
  2. https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12187/changing-the-conversation-messages-for-improving-public-understanding-of-engineering


To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning.


In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities.


By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.


Ever find yourself in a crucial meeting, certain your idea is the right one, only to have the conversation move past you? That specific frustration of being unheard, despite your expertise, is exactly where Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style begins. Hosted by communication strategist Laura Camacho, this podcast digs into the subtle, often unspoken rules of influence within organizations. It’s not about talking louder; it’s about communicating with a clarity and conviction that commands attention and gets results. Each episode moves beyond generic advice, offering practical frameworks for shaping how you’re perceived in high-stakes situations, from boardroom presentations to everyday team interactions. You’ll hear real-world breakdowns of communication successes and missteps, actionable strategies for structuring your thoughts under pressure, and insights into the nonverbal cues that define leadership presence. This is for professionals who are ready to transition from being a participant to becoming a pivotal voice. Tune into this business and careers podcast for a thoughtful, nuanced exploration of what it truly means to lead through your words and demeanor, transforming your potential into tangible impact.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style
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