3 Hidden Traps That Keep Smart Women From Becoming VPs

November 24, 2025

You’re delivering results but still questioning if you’re really ready for executive leadership. In this encore episode, I’ll show you why you already belong at the table and what it takes to finally believe it.

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Episode Summary

You’re delivering results but still questioning if you’re really ready for executive leadership. In this encore episode, I’ll show you why you already belong at the table and what it takes to finally believe it.

You’re great at what you do. But when you look at the people at the executive table, it still feels out of reach. If you keep telling yourself “I’m just not ready yet,” this episode will show you why that story feels so real and what to do about it.

In this encore episode, I break down the three hidden traps that keep smart women from going after the VP seat, the belief shift that changed everything for me, and why you don’t need more certifications or an MBA to be seen as leadership material.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

  • Why seeing yourself as a senior leader is often harder than doing the job
  • The three traps that fuel the “I’m not ready” story
  • How to separate valid feedback from bias
  • The belief shift that helped me finally see myself as VP material

 

…LET’S CONTINUE THE CONVO!

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a DM on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward and we can take it from there.

Remember, there’s room for all of us at the table.

Hi, I’m Katy McFee
A former VP and EVP who knows how hard it is to break into executive leadership. After years of feeling stuck, I figured it out and now, as a certified executive coach, I help other women do the same. I’ve supported hundreds in landing the promotions they deserve with strategies that make success achievable, without the years of trial and error.