Control How You’re Perceived and Rewarded

Your great work won't speak for itself. Learn the three elements of positioning to ensure your value is accurately perceived and rewarded, instead of being categorized at a fraction of your worth.

Great work doesn't speak for itself. It gets interpreted, categorized, and valued based on how it's positioned—whether by you or by others.

If you don't intentionally position your value, others will do it for you—often at a fraction of your true worth.

This positioning trap catches even the most talented executives.

Stay in one role or company too long, and you'll carry the baggage of early impressions. The junior analyst who made a critical mistake five years ago remains "unreliable" despite flawless performance since. The technical director who's developed strategic vision still gets labeled "tactical" based on perceptions formed during their first year.

I bet you’ve felt this before.

The growth you've experienced becomes invisible under the weight of outdated positioning and impressions that define the perception of your reputation.

I know this firsthand.

Clients I worked with a decade ago still reach out asking me to write their resumes—something I haven't done in at least five years. While I've updated my positioning and refined my message, you can't expect everyone to see and remember it. This is why repetition matters so much. You need to constantly push your narrative forward.

The job is never done.

This persistent positioning effort is why it's valuable to position ambitiously and "anchor high." You're more likely to be rewarded when you consistently frame yourself at a higher level.

I recently worked with a VP of Technology who had spent five years leading technical projects for healthcare systems. Despite delivering real results, he remained labeled as a "technical executor" rather than a strategic leader. His pay stayed 30% below what he was worth.

We repositioned his work through a strategic lens instead.

Rather than saying he "implemented systems," he reframed his work as "driving $42M in growth through technology leadership." Within three months, he received two competitive VP offers in the 90th percentile of compensation at major companies—roles previously considered beyond his reach.

Nothing changed but the positioning.

Same skills. Same experience. Entirely different perception of value.

Most executives mistakenly believe their achievements will be objectively evaluated. The reality? Your career trajectory is shaped less by what you accomplish and more by how those accomplishments are framed and understood.

Your positioning isn't just one factor among many—it's the filter through which everything else you contribute gets evaluated.

Master it, and doors open that talent alone could never unlock.

Why Positioning Matters More Than Performance

In a perfect world, exceptional work would simply speak for itself. Your contributions would be objectively evaluated, your growth automatically recognized, and your compensation precisely matched to your true value.

That world doesn't exist.

The uncomfortable truth is that perception (or tech bro-culture nepotism) routinely overshadows performance.

I've seen brilliant strategies dismissed because they came from someone labeled as "tactical." I've watched mediocre plans enthusiastically approved because they came from executives with strong strategic positioning.

This isn't about unfairness—it's about how human brains actually work.

We use mental shortcuts to make sense of complex information. Once someone is categorized in our minds, everything they do gets filtered through that initial impression.

The positioning gap creates three distinct problems for senior leaders:

First, your growth becomes invisible. The skills and perspective you've developed over years can remain completely unseen if your positioning doesn't evolve alongside them. You become trapped by outdated perceptions.

Second, your compensation hits artificial ceilings. When positioned as an "implementer" rather than a "strategist," your value gets discounted regardless of impact. Same contribution, different perception, dramatically different reward.

Third, your opportunities narrow. The most exciting roles aren't offered to those positioned below them, even when they have the required capabilities. Positioning creates invisible barriers to advancement that talent alone can't overcome.

This problem gets worse as AI increasingly commoditizes execution.

When machines can implement solutions, humans who position themselves as mere implementers lose significant value. The premium shifts to those positioned as strategic thinkers, vision-setters, and relationship builders—roles AI can't easily replace.

The most dangerous part?

If you don't position yourself, others will happily do it for you. And they'll rarely position you at your highest value level. They'll slot you into categories that fit their needs and perceptions rather than reflecting your full capability.

Nobody understands your true career potential like the person staring back at you in the mirror—so stop waiting for permission and start demanding more.

The good news?

You can take control of this process. Strategic positioning isn't manipulation—it's ensuring that your true value gets accurately perceived and properly rewarded.

The Three Positioning Elements

Strategic positioning requires mastering three key elements that transform how others perceive your value.

1. Value Category Alignment

Ensure you're positioned in the highest-value category relevant to your skills.

Consider these two descriptions of identical work:

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Low-value category: "I efficiently managed the Eastern region sales team."

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High-value category: "I drove revenue growth across the Eastern territory."

The first positions you as an operational resource. The second positions you as a business driver.

This isn't about embellishing—it's about framing your genuine contributions in terms of the value they create rather than the tasks you performed.

It's moving from how you spend your time to why your work matters.

Take a hard look at how you describe your role and contributions. Do you use operational terms like "managed," "maintained," "supported," and "coordinated"? These words signal execution, not strategy. Replace them with value-creation language: "accelerated," "transformed," "drove," or "generated."

This shift might feel subtle, but it dramatically changes how others categorize your contributions—from someone who completes tasks to someone who creates outcomes.

2. Aspiration Anchoring

Frame your trajectory in terms of where you're going rather than where you've been.

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Weak positioning: "I have extensive experience in operational improvement."

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Strong positioning: "The more challenging the transformation, the more engaged I am. My focus is building operational excellence into every aspect of our team."

This future-oriented language creates a crucial psychological shift.

Decision-makers begin evaluating you not against your past roles but against your future potential—instantly elevating your perceived value.

Before any significant career conversation, explicitly state your trajectory:

"I've been building expertise in [high-value domain] to address the growing [industry challenge] — which is why I suspect you’re excited to speak with me. I’m curious, how are you working through [industry challenge]? What’s working and what’s missing? Why now?"

This seemingly simple statement fundamentally reshapes how others categorize your value. Using a question at the end pushes the conversation forward vs. waiting for the next question to be asked of you. You must lead the conversation forward to perform your best.

The strongest leaders constantly position themselves one (or more) level above their current role. They speak the language, address the concerns, and frame issues at their target level, not their current one.

Sorta like the old adage... dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

Another example of this is positioning yourself for roles you haven't done yet by speaking through the lens of a third party.

For example:

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"I've spoken with other CEOs about top marketing positions—and even spoke with some investors about CEO roles."

This subtle reference plants the seed that others at higher levels already see you in more senior positions.

This third-party positioning bypasses the awkwardness of direct self-promotion while creating powerful mental associations. When you casually mention conversations with those at your target level, you're indirectly signaling that you belong in those discussions. You're not claiming to be ready for the role—you're showing that others already see the possibility.

The key is making these references authentic and matter-of-fact, not desperate or boastful. Drop them naturally into conversation, then move on. The impression lingers while you avoid seeming like you're trying too hard. This plants seeds of your future positioning without the resistance that comes from obvious self-promotion.

3. Strategic Exclusion

Deliberately omit details that would limit perceived potential or create artificial ceilings.

Most executives unknowingly sabotage their value by providing unnecessary specifics that create anchoring limitations:

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Limiting disclosure: "I led a team of 17 engineers and managed a $3.2M budget."

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Strategic framing: "I led the engineering function through our critical growth phase, scaling our capabilities to meet enterprise demand."

Unless specific metrics demonstrate exceptional scale, they often create mental ceilings rather than floors. A $3.2M budget responsibility can make a $10M budget seem beyond your capability, even when it's well within your capacity.

The same applies to team size, technology specifics, and industry experience. When these details don't serve your positioning, they create unnecessary limitations.

This doesn't mean hiding information—it means being strategic about what you emphasize based on the position you're targeting. Ask yourself: "Does this detail expand or contract how others perceive my potential?"

If it contracts, consider whether it's necessary to include.

By mastering these three elements, you transform how others perceive your contributions—not by changing what you've done, but by changing how it's understood and categorized.

Common Positioning Mistakes

Even brilliant executives routinely undermine their own value through positioning errors. These mistakes aren't about competence—they're about how you frame that competence in ways that limit your perceived value.

Task Orientation vs. Outcome Orientation

Most executives (and weak resume writers) position themselves based on what they do rather than what they achieve. They describe activities instead of impacts, processes instead of results.

Compare these statements:

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Task-oriented: "I oversee our product development process and manage the product roadmap."

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Outcome-oriented: "I identify market opportunities and translate them into products that have grown our revenue by 22% annually."

The first statement positions you as a process manager. The second positions you as a growth driver. The difference in perceived value is dramatic.

This mistake is particularly common among technically skilled executives who pride themselves on mastery of complex processes. They position themselves as experts in how rather than architects of why.

Industry Pigeonholing

Many executives unconsciously limit themselves by overemphasizing industry-specific experience rather than transferable leadership capabilities.

When you position yourself primarily as a "healthcare executive" or "financial services leader," you create immediate boundaries around your perceived potential. You become categorized as a domain specialist rather than a versatile business leader.

The strongest executives position their industry experience as a platform that demonstrates adaptability rather than a constraint that defines their limits. They emphasize the underlying challenges they've solved that exist across sectors: scaling organizations, navigating regulation, driving innovation amid constraints.

Qualification Underselling

The fear of seeming arrogant leads many executives to undersell their qualifications and capabilities. They use tentative language, downplay achievements, and avoid claiming expertise even in areas where they genuinely excel.

This false modesty doesn't read as humble—it reads as uncertainty. It creates an immediate value discount in how others perceive your contributions.

Particularly for women and underrepresented groups who often face higher standards, decisive self-positioning becomes even more crucial. Research consistently shows that confident positioning significantly impacts compensation and advancement opportunities.

The strongest executives position their capabilities directly and unapologetically. They describe their strengths not as personal boasts but as factual resources they bring to organizational challenges.

Title Fixation vs. Impact

Many executives obsess over titles while neglecting to position the actual impact of their work. They define themselves by organizational labels rather than by the value they create.

Which sounds more compelling?

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Title-focused: "As Senior Vice President, I..."

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Impact-focused: "By redesigning our approach to customer acquisition, I..."

Titles create initial impressions but impact creates lasting value perception. When you lead with impact, you position yourself based on contributions rather than labels—creating far stronger differentiation and perceived value.

Overcoming these positioning mistakes doesn't require exaggeration or misrepresentation. It simply requires deliberate focus on framing your genuine contributions in ways that accurately reflect their true value.

The Repositioning Framework

Changing how others perceive your value doesn't happen overnight, but it doesn't have to take years either. Strategic repositioning is a deliberate process that transforms how your contributions are understood and valued.

Here's how to reposition yourself for higher perceived value:

Step 1: Identify Your Current Position

Before you can change positioning, you need clarity on how you're currently perceived. This requires honest assessment, not wishful thinking.

Ask yourself:

• How do people describe me when I'm not in the room?

• What types of problems do people bring to me versus take elsewhere?

• What assumptions do people make about my capabilities and limitations?

• What opportunities am I not being considered for despite having the skills?

The gap between how you see yourself and how others perceive you is your repositioning opportunity.

Step 2: Define Your Target Position

Determine exactly how you want to be perceived. This isn't about titles—it's about the value category you want to occupy in others' minds.

Do you want to be seen as:

• A growth driver rather than an operator?

• A strategic advisor rather than a technical expert?

• A business leader rather than a functional specialist?

• A visionary rather than an implementer?

Be specific about your target positioning. Vague aspirations lead to unclear positioning.

Example:

Let's say you're currently a Chief Information Officer at a mid-sized company. Your current positioning is primarily as a "technical expert" who keeps systems running smoothly and implements new technologies.

Your target positioning: You want to be seen as a "business strategist who leverages technology to create competitive advantages" rather than "the person who keeps the IT systems working."

Specific value category shift: From technical expert → to strategic business partner

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Vague target (doesn't work): "I want to be more strategic."

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Clear target (works): "I want to be the executive who spots business opportunities others miss by connecting market trends, customer needs, and emerging technologies before competitors do."

In practice, this means:

• Instead of talking about cloud migration details, you discuss how technology choices create market flexibility

• Instead of reporting on system uptime, you show how technology investments connect to revenue growth

• Instead of attending just IT leadership meetings, you engage in broader business strategy discussions

• Instead of focusing on technical specifications, you translate technology decisions into business language

• Instead of surrounding yourself with other IT professionals who think the same way, you build relationships with sales leaders, finance executives, and marketing directors to break out of the tech echo chamber

This clear positioning creates a specific impression in others' minds — you're not just the person who handles technology; you're the strategic thinker who uses technology to find new ways to make money and outmaneuver competitors.

Step 3: Rewrite Your Narrative

This is where transformation happens. Reframe your same experiences and contributions through your target positioning lens.

Follow this formula:

1. Identify the business impact of your work (not your activities)

2. Connect that impact to strategic company priorities

3. Frame your contribution in terms of value creation rather than task execution

Before: "I managed the CRM implementation project."

After: "I accelerated our customer acquisition by transforming our customer systems."

Before: "I led the product team through our redesign."

After: "I repositioned our core offer to capture the enterprise segment, expanding our market by 40%."

The details are the same. The framing is different.

Step 4: Embed Your Positioning Everywhere

Consistency creates credibility. Once you've defined your new positioning, use it everywhere:

• How you introduce yourself in meetings

• Your LinkedIn profile and professional bios

• The examples and stories you share

• How you describe current projects and initiatives

• The language in your performance reviews and self-assessments

Look for opportunities to reinforce your new positioning in everyday conversations. Don't wait for formal moments—positioning happens in small interactions that compound over time.

Step 5: Leverage Proof Strategically

Back your positioning with specific examples that validate your new framing. These aren't resume bullets—they're strategic illustrations that cement your new positioning.

Choose examples that clearly demonstrate your target. A single perfect illustration is worth more than a dozen that almost fit.

For each key claim in your positioning, develop one concrete story that makes that positioning undeniable. Make these stories concise, outcome-focused, and memorable.

Example:

Let's say you want to be seen as someone who drives growth and brings in money, not just a marketing director who follows plans.

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Weak example: "I ran our online ads and social media accounts."

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Strong example: "When our usual marketing stopped working, I found a customer group everyone missed. I moved 30% of our money to target these new customers, bringing in $3.8 million in just six months—money we would have completely missed otherwise."

Notice how the strong example isn't just about what tasks you did. It shows you can spot opportunities, make smart decisions about where to spend money, and deliver real results. It tells a simple story with a clear problem and solution instead of just listing what you did.

This one clear example proves your value better than ten vague statements about managing campaigns or knowing marketing terms.

Remember: Positioning isn't about changing what you've done—it's about changing how those contributions are understood and valued. When done correctly, it transforms perception without distorting reality, creating recognition for the true value you already deliver.

Control Your Online Reputation

Your digital presence now shapes perceptions more powerfully than most in-person interactions. In a world of remote work, video calls, and digital communication, how you position yourself online has become the primary filter through which others evaluate your value.

Most executives still treat digital positioning as an afterthought while focusing on in-person impression management. This creates a dangerous disconnect. Your carefully crafted in-person positioning gets undermined by outdated or inconsistent digital signals that reach far more people.

LinkedIn: Your Billboard

Your LinkedIn profile isn't just a digital resume—it's a positioning platform viewed by potential employers, colleagues, partners, and competitors. Yet most executives' profiles read like historical documents rather than strategic positioning tools.

Review your profile through your target positioning lens:

• Does your headline position you at your current level or your target level?

• Does your summary emphasize tasks or outcomes?

• Do your experience descriptions reinforce operational details or strategic impact?

• Do your activity patterns (posts, comments, shares) align with your desired positioning?

A LinkedIn profile that contradicts your in-person positioning creates lasting perception challenges. When someone checks your profile after meeting you, does it reinforce or undermine the positioning you just established?

Video Calls: Positioning in Pixels

In virtual meetings, your positioning gets compressed into a small rectangle on others' screens. This flattens traditional authority signals and amplifies subtle positioning cues.

How you appear, speak, and engage in virtual environments either strengthens or weakens your strategic positioning:

• Does your virtual environment reflect your intended positioning?

• Does your communication style change on video, becoming more tentative or informal?

• Do you use virtual platforms actively or passively?

Many executives who command rooms in person surrender positioning power in virtual spaces through poor setups, passive participation, or less confident communication styles.

Written Communication: Positioning Between the Lines

In a remote environment, your writing carries notable weight. Email, Slack, and documentation become primary positioning vehicles that reach broader audiences than any in-person conversation.

Your writing either reinforces or undermines your strategic positioning:

• Do you write with the same authority you speak with?

• Does your written language reflect operational or strategic framing?

• Do your communication patterns position you as responsive or directive?

The most effective digital positioning isn't about technology—it's about consistency. Every digital touchpoint should reinforce your strategic positioning rather than contradict it.

The executives who master this alignment create powerful positioning momentum that transforms how they're perceived and valued, regardless of physical location.

Practical Application

Let's turn insight into action. Here's how to immediately improve your positioning in ways that create real results.

Audit Your Introduction

The next time someone asks "What do you do?" — your answer will either reinforce or redefine your positioning. Most people default to titles or tasks: "I'm the VP of Operations" or "I manage our supply chain."

Instead, create a strategic introduction that positions you at your target level:

"I create efficiency that increases margins. I've found that there is nearly always 20% to find."

"People typically reach out to me when they're organizing their go-to-market motion for acquisition. I've driven 3 exits."

"I build the systems that accelerate growth in enterprise companies. I learned quite a bit from my hypergrowth time at Salesforce and Atlassian."

This isn't just semantics—it's strategic framing that positions you based on impact rather than title or function.

Try this today: Write your standard introduction, then rewrite it completely focused on outcomes and value. Practice it until it feels natural. Use it consistently for two weeks and notice how differently people respond.

Test Your Positioning

Positioning isn't theoretical—it's testable. Create deliberate opportunities to validate whether your positioning is working:

1. Share a strategic perspective in your next meeting that aligns with your target positioning

2. Note how others respond—do they engage with your point or seem surprised?

3. Follow up one-on-one with a trusted colleague for honest feedback

Real-world testing provides immediate feedback on how your positioning is landing with others.

The strongest executives don't just hope their positioning is working—they actively test and refine it based on actual responses.

Start With One Relationship

Trying to reposition yourself with everyone simultaneously creates inconsistent results. Instead, focus on one key relationship where improved positioning would create significant value.

Identify someone whose perception particularly matters—a senior leader, key client, or influential peer. Focus your repositioning efforts specifically on this relationship. This creates a controlled environment to perfect your approach before scaling more broadly.

Try this to get the conversation started from a vulnerable approach:

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“Kevin, you’re someone that knows more about me than almost anyone else. I’m positioning myself for positions like X,Y, or Z — what’s your take on that? What can you see about me that others cannot?”

The most effective positioning shifts start narrow and expand gradually rather than attempting wholesale reinvention overnight.

Remember: Your positioning isn't just what you claim—it's what others believe about your value. Testing, refining, and consistently reinforcing your positioning transforms those beliefs over time, creating lasting changes in how your contributions are perceived and rewarded.

Conclusion: Own Your Narrative

Your value isn't determined by what you've done. It's determined by how what you've done is perceived by those making decisions about your career.

Most executives leave this critical perception to chance. They focus entirely on performance while ignoring positioning, then wonder why their contributions aren't properly recognized or rewarded.

The reality is uncomfortably clear—if you don't position yourself strategically, someone else will position you conveniently—usually at a fraction of your true value.

Strategic positioning isn't manipulation or self-promotion. It's ensuring that your contributions get accurately perceived at their proper value level. It's making the invisible visible. It's translating your work into terms that decision-makers can properly evaluate.

Every day, in countless small interactions, you're either strengthening your strategic positioning or surrendering it. These moments compound over time, creating either expanded opportunities or invisible limitations.

Take control of your narrative.

Align how you're perceived with the true value you deliver.

Position yourself at the level of your actual impact (or even more aspirational) rather than your assigned tasks.

The strongest leaders don't wait for others to recognize their value—they make that value impossible to miss through deliberate, consistent positioning that shapes perception long before formal evaluations or negotiations begin.

Need help applying this? Upgrade to paid for monthly live sessions with Jacob.

Stay fearless, friends.