The Altitude Shift That Changes Everything

I had a conversation this week with a colleague that stayed with me long after we got off the phone. She said, “I just don’t know how to get visibility with these senior leaders. I feel like I say things and nothing happens. I don’t feel like I have a voice in the room.”

I know that feeling and I know a lot of capable people do.

In her case, it wasn’t about confidence or competence. She's super smart, savvy and she works hard. She cares about the work that she does and about making a difference.

The real issue was what is called "altitude".

She was presenting her work to senior leaders the way she thinks about it which is very detailed, logical, step by step.  However, leaders aren’t living in her world - they don't know what she knows in the day in and day out of things. They’re scanning for patterns, risks, decisions, and clarity. When the message stays deep in the weeds, it doesn’t give them a place to land.

So we talked about two shifts that would have the biggest impact to her outcomes.

First, real influence starts before the actual meeting. If you want a voice in the room that is heard, you build the relationship and shape the narrative ahead of time. Something as simple as providin a quick touchpoint or a preview of your thinking. A simple alignment message, "does this align with what you’re expecting?” This is how to get leaders to start listening before you ever start speaking.

Second, visibility is not earned through more details. The oppposite, it’s earned through providing clarity. When you speak at the right altitude, your message becomes easier to act on.

It turned out after talking through this that what she really wanted wasn’t to “be seen", she wanted her work to matter. This is where speaking to your audience in the way they naturally process information makes a difference.

If you want help lifting your next update to the right altitude, here’s a AI prompt that will do the heavy lifting for you.

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT:

"Help me prepare a leader-ready update. Here is my draft message.

1. Rewrite it at the strategic (30,000 ft) level.

2. Identify the core outcome, risk, or decision a senior leader will care about.

3. Highlight what I should preview or align on before the meeting.

4. Give me two versions of the message:

   • a clear, leader-level update

   • a one-sentence opener I can use to start the conversation with confidence

5. Tell me what details I should remove or save for questions so I avoid going into the weeds."

What I'm loving...🩵  

A human-approved tip / tool:   

🫶The Two-Minute Pre Meeting Check:

A micro-habit that instantly sharpens your communication before any meeting.
You ask yourself:

• What outcome am I steering toward?

• What’s the one insight that matters most?

• What can I let go of because it doesn’t change anything?

It takes two minutes and cuts 40% of the noise in your head.

A simple pleasure:

☕The "slow coffee walk". Take your coffee (or tea) out for a slow walk - not at your desk. Just around the block or for 5-10 minutes. It's an easy reset. 

 To listen or read:

📚The Art of Quiet Influence by Jocelyn Davis.
A steady reminder that confidence grows from clarity, not volume.

Before I go...

I'm doing a Q&A session in January. Give me your questions - what's keeping you up at night (hit reply and share them). I'll include your questions and my best answers in the January session. 

Warmly,

Heather