From Technical Expert to Strategic Leader

Todd Curzon

Hey folks, welcome back to The Velocity Executive—this is Todd Curzon here, and I'm in the studio with my partner-in-podcasting, Daniel Carter. Daniel, you ready to break down what might be the most uncomfortable truth about rising through the ranks?

Daniel Carter

Absolutely, Todd. And, you know, this one catches people off guard—the idea that the skills that make you a great technical expert? They're not really the same ones that'll serve you at the executive level. Being a rock star at solving gnarly problems or shipping code faster than anyone else? That's great, but it shifts dramatically when you become a VP or a director.

Todd Curzon

Yeah, right? I mean, when you get promoted because you’re the “go-to” person in your team, it feels like you’ve cracked the code. But what nobody tells you is, suddenly, it’s not about your individual output. And I’ll own this—when I got bumped up from technical lead to managing the whole team, I thought, “No sweat—I’ll just delegate!” But I was basically just reassigning tasks like I was dealing cards in old-school Monopoly. Problem was, I still wanted to control all the moves.

Daniel Carter

Classic! And that’s the pitfall, right? People who've succeeded by trusting their instincts and going deep, they cling to that. But senior leadership is less about individual heroics and more like, well, stepping back to see the whole chessboard. Macro-thinking, influence, shaping direction—suddenly you’re responsible for the big picture, not just your slice of the pie. In fact, Zestfor lays it out: you move from tactical problem-solving and being the answer-person, to being the force that aligns teams and shapes innovation.

Todd Curzon

Yeah, it can smack you in the face—what made you valuable can become a limiter. I kept thinking if I just worked harder, I’d scale up. But the reality is, you don’t scale, your impact does, through others. It’s kinda like trying to win a board game by keeping all the best cards for yourself... It never works. Anyway, what’s the wildest thing that could happen if you just abandon all the old habits? The team grows up, and so do you. That’s the fun—and the scary—part of leveling up.

Daniel Carter

I think that’s the perfect segue, Todd, because when the job shifts from individual contributor to strategic leader, you’ve gotta develop something called executive presence. If you’re new to that term, think of it as a combo of confidence, gravitas, clear communication, and—most critically—real connection. It’s not just looking the part; it’s acting it, and being consistent even when things feel shaky inside.

Todd Curzon

Yeah, totally. And communication is much more nuanced at this level. Like, I had a client—let’s call him Raj—who’d just stepped into a VP role. Brilliant analyst, full spreadsheet-wizard. But Raj would walk into these executive meetings, dump pages of data, and just lose the room. No one's listening by the third slide because he never tailored his message for the audience—he missed the emotional tone, the context. Long story short, he started really “reading the room,” and boom, credibility shot up.

Daniel Carter

That's a great example, and it touches on emotional intelligence, which, honestly, is at the core of great leadership now. Self-awareness, managing your emotions when things go sideways, and knowing how relationships work in the organization—those are the skills that start to matter more than technical chops. It's being able to sense what’s unsaid, adapt, empathize with frustrations, and still drive collaboration when tensions run high.

Todd Curzon

I’ll add, leaders who don’t develop this? They stagnate. Emotional intelligence lets you build coalitions, get buy-in, and steer through all the internal politics, which—let's be real—are always swirling at the top. It’s tough, but it’s the difference between being seen as “the smart person in the room” or “the person everyone follows.”

Daniel Carter

Once you’ve realized it’s about more than expertise, you need frameworks to bridge that gap. McKinsey’s ‘Four Cs’—Context, Culture, Connections, Contribution—are one of my go-tos for new execs. Context means you spend real time learning what’s actually going on in your business; Culture is about what truly drives behavior; Connections are who has influence and why; and Contribution is where you focus energy for early wins. Skip one and, well, you risk stepping on a landmine.

Todd Curzon

Right, and Harvard Business Review hits on this too—especially for those first months, it’s all about building credibility and trust. They suggest doing a structured listening tour—so before you even touch the “strategy” lever, talk to people up and down the org chart, map your key stakeholders, and figure out where the power dynamics actually are. And—oh, Daniel, you remember that exec you coached, who changed his whole trajectory with that influence map?

Daniel Carter

Absolutely—he was this brilliant technical manager, and honestly, kind of shy with the political stuff. But we drew out who really shaped decisions, how messages traveled, and what each person cared about. He realized, sometimes you have to shift your style to connect—sometimes you tell a story, sometimes you show the numbers, sometimes you just ask questions and listen. Once he adapted, he won a critical round of support and his initiative got greenlit. It’s more social tactics than technical, and that’s a huge shift.

Todd Curzon

And it feels weird at first! Like, “I'm a tech leader, now I have to be a connector?” But those quick, early wins can cement your credibility. Think of it as building a bridge—if you only put down one plank, nobody’s crossing, right?

Todd Curzon

Alright, so, let’s get really practical. The first ninety days are where you lay the foundation—and if you mess it up, it’s tough to recover. I like to think of it in three phases: the first 30 days are all about listening and learning, not acting. Like, sit in meetings, ask questions, and avoid jumping to conclusions—don’t start rearranging the board just yet. The next 30 days, that’s when you start to align and plan—pull folks together, test your assumptions, sketch out priorities. And in the last 30 days? That’s when you act for impact, launch some fast experiments, and then review what’s working.

Daniel Carter

And let’s call out the classic traps. Biggest one? Making big changes or pushing your pet projects before you understand the lay of the land. Slow down. You don’t earn trust by being the fastest, you earn it by being the most thoughtful. Also, use structured check-ins—regular one-on-ones, team huddles—and try Todd’s “wild card question” technique at the end. You never know what hidden risks or cool ideas you’ll surface when you ask, “What’s one thing you wish I’d ask about but haven’t?”

Todd Curzon

Yeah, one wild-card question can open up all kinds of stuff! I mean, every team has that one thing nobody talks about in the open—until you ask weird questions. Makes you a bit more human, too, and that’s how you spot culture issues or innovation gaps before they sabotage your plans. More listening, less fixing, especially up top.

Daniel Carter

So, as you settle in, let’s zoom out to longer-term growth. Strategic leadership is not a finish line—you have to keep leveling up. That means mastering visionary thinking, getting good at big-picture planning, and making decisions when there’s no perfect data. You’ll need resilience, commercial awareness, and—can’t stress this enough—constant feedback and development, whether that means mentorship, formal programs, or just putting yourself in cross-functional projects that stretch your skills.

Todd Curzon

And here’s my favorite board game analogy—because I can’t help myself. At the operational level, you’re playing chess: it’s all about the right move, right now, tactics. But at the strategic leadership level? You’re playing Risk—huge map, alliances, long-term bets, plenty of ambiguity. You’re thinking three moves ahead and, honestly, sometimes you’re rolling the dice without knowing all the odds.

Daniel Carter

That’s spot on. And remember, this shift doesn’t happen overnight. According to Zestfor and others, it’s about building diverse networks and perspectives. Seek feedback, stay curious, challenge your own assumptions. Success at this level is about shaping the organization’s future, not just optimizing today. It’s the most rewarding—and humbling—stage of leadership I know.

Todd Curzon

And if you’re listening and sweating a bit? Good! That means you’re ready to grow. There’s a whole game waiting for you, and you only get better by playing. Daniel, always a pleasure navigating these leadership mazes with you.

Daniel Carter

Right back at you, Todd. Thanks for joining us on The Velocity Executive. We’ll be back soon with more playbooks and, who knows, maybe a few board game metaphors you haven’t heard before. Take care, everyone!