When good people get stuck between smart and seen

“It’s not like I didn’t want it. I just couldn’t picture myself in it. Like maybe I would walk into the room and someone would ask what I was doing there.”

These are the words that Meg (name changed) said to me when I asked why she didn’t apply for the Band 1 role she’d been acting in for nearly a year.

Well-liked by her peers and trusted by her superiors, Meg would have been a strong contender for the role. Yet something was holding her back, and when the role was advertised for permanency, she stayed on the sidelines.  

This is a situation I’ve seen many times during my 10+ years as an executive coach. High performers getting stuck – not in a dramatic way, but in a quiet and competent yet invisible way.

When these people reach out to me for coaching, they typically believe they need “fixing”. They don’t. They simply need someone to back them, until they understand how to back themselves.

The good news in Meg’s case is that after several months working together, a new opportunity arose for a Band 1. This time, she applied and won the role. Now, she’s an acting Band 2!

Are you stuck in half time?

High performers who find themselves in these situations can feel as though they’re caught in the middle zone. Like it’s half time in their career, they’re doing well, but there’s a whole other half to play and they just can’t seem to get back on the field.

They can hear the fans cheering them on, and even their team mates saying they’re doing well. They even know deep down that they’re ready. They just feel…stuck.

While reading this, it’s easy to think a person in this situation is struggling with imposter syndrome. Yet unlike imposter syndrome, they’re not suffering from a lack of confidence. In fact, they could have a high degree of confidence. They’re just unsure how to claim their space and step into the second half of their career.

Sometimes, feelings like this arise due to public sector culture. The public service rewards dependable and uncontroversial behaviour – and this can cause people to shy away from making their presence known, even in situations where it’s truly warranted.

At an SES level, for example, it’s essential that you know how to claim your space and communicate your ideas. Even if you think they’re obvious, they may only be obvious to you. To others, your strategic insight could be the difference between a missed opportunity and a breakthrough.

In other cases, high performers get stuck in this mindset because they’re reacting to outdated beliefs about what executive presence looks like. An interesting article in the Harvard Business Review examined these very beliefs last year. Surveys conducted in 2012 and 2022 compared the importance of 25 leadership traits according to business executives at the director level or above in various industries. The results showed that traits such as integrity, forcefulness, and physical attractiveness had been superseded by inclusiveness, “listen to learn” orientation, and authenticity.

What’s needed now is to show up in ways that are:

• influential
• respectful
• inclusive
• visible

In your career, these traits mark the shift from a first half of steady competence to a second half of visible impact.

Getting game-ready for the second half

Working with an executive coach – either one-on-one or through a leadership workshop designed for public servants – can support you to step onto the field and own your second half.

Having helped hundreds of public sector leaders to navigate this very dynamic, we’ve honed our approach to help you:

• unpack the beliefs, assumptions, and mindsets that may be holding you back
• build the mental, emotional, and behavioural traits that support a stronger leadership posture
• develop an internal narrative that reflects the real value of your input and impact
• understand why visibility isn’t the same as self-promotion
• claim your space, and take it confidently into your next opportunity
• lead with presence and clarity in your new role

Your career doesn’t have to plateau at half time because you don’t know how to move forward. Don’t waste any more time on the sidelines – discover how to plan a strategic re-entry and make your second half count.

To get started, visit Leadership Strategies Workshops or book a free 15-minute coaching session.