Which Corporate Pattern Is Stalling Your Career?

For each statement, click the answer that feels most true for you — anywhere from “Never” to “This is my life”. Go with your first instinct and move through them one at a time.

I've been told I'm "not quite ready" or given feedback like "more executive presence" or "a bit more seasoning," without a concrete, measurable path forward that I could actually verify I'd completed.

When I ask what specific criteria I need to meet for advancement, the answer is vague, shifts over time, or differs from what I've observed my male colleagues being held to.

I regularly absorb work that keeps my team or program running: onboarding, cross-functional coordination, documentation, crisis recovery. Work that is never mentioned in my performance review as "leadership."

I've been called "indispensable," "the glue," or told "we couldn't do this without you," and some part of me has quietly realized that phrase might be the exact reason I'm not being promoted out of this role.

My complex technical contributions get softened when described by others. The decisions I made, the risk I managed, the outcomes I drove become "she's a great team player" or "she managed the interfaces" in someone else's summary.

When a senior leader describes my work to someone with more power, the executive-level impact of what I actually did gets diluted, softened, or absorbed into "team effort" before it reaches the people who decide promotions.

I have mentors who give me feedback, encouragement, and advice. But I do not have anyone with real organizational power who is actively putting my name forward in closed-door conversations about stretch assignments, succession plans, or promotions.

I have primarily relied on delivering excellent work and trusting that leadership will notice, rather than having a specific, powerful person making sure my name comes up when high-visibility opportunities are assigned.

I have proposed an idea in a meeting, been met with silence or polite dismissal, and then watched a male colleague say a version of the same idea shortly after and receive the follow-through, credit, or praise.

My individual contributions to high-stakes deliverables, decisions, or programs tend to be absorbed into "team effort" language in formal records, rather than attributed specifically, precisely, and powerfully to me.

Which Corporate Pattern Is Stalling Your Career?

I've been told I'm "not quite ready" or given feedback like "more executive presence" or "a bit more seasoning," without a concrete, measurable path forward that I could actually verify I'd completed.

When I ask what specific criteria I need to meet for advancement, the answer is vague, shifts over time, or differs from what I've observed my male colleagues being held to.

I regularly absorb work that keeps my team or program running: onboarding, cross-functional coordination, documentation, crisis recovery. Work that is never mentioned in my performance review as "leadership."

I've been called "indispensable," "the glue," or told "we couldn't do this without you," and some part of me has quietly realized that phrase might be the exact reason I'm not being promoted out of this role.

My complex technical contributions get softened when described by others. The decisions I made, the risk I managed, the outcomes I drove become "she's a great team player" or "she managed the interfaces" in someone else's summary.

When a senior leader describes my work to someone with more power, the executive-level impact of what I actually did gets diluted, softened, or absorbed into "team effort" before it reaches the people who decide promotions.

I have mentors who give me feedback, encouragement, and advice. But I do not have anyone with real organizational power who is actively putting my name forward in closed-door conversations about stretch assignments, succession plans, or promotions.

I have primarily relied on delivering excellent work and trusting that leadership will notice, rather than having a specific, powerful person making sure my name comes up when high-visibility opportunities are assigned.

I have proposed an idea in a meeting, been met with silence or polite dismissal, and then watched a male colleague say a version of the same idea shortly after and receive the follow-through, credit, or praise.

My individual contributions to high-stakes deliverables, decisions, or programs tend to be absorbed into "team effort" language in formal records, rather than attributed specifically, precisely, and powerfully to me.

Join Our Free Trial