Sometimes you find yourself in a role that doesn’t match your experience, strengths, or leadership potential.
You’ve built systems, mentored teams, and driven strategy—but now, you’re buried in execution, answering to decisions you know you could make better yourself. It’s not imposter syndrome. It’s misalignment.
I’ve been there. Despite having held senior roles, I was placed in a position that underutilized my leadership and overwhelmed me with tactical work. It was frustrating. But it also became the catalyst to reassert my direction.
Here’s how to shift back into the role you were meant to lead.
Step 1: Reconnect with Your Leadership Identity
Start with how you see yourself.
When your environment doesn’t reflect your value, it’s easy to play small. You go quiet. You check boxes. You become “reliable” instead of influential.
But titles don’t make leaders. Decisions do.
Reclaim your voice in the room. Speak like the strategic thinker you are. Raise ideas. Share frameworks. Offer solutions. The more you show up in that identity, the more others begin to respond to it.
Step 2: Document Where You’re Already Leading
Leadership doesn’t always look like managing people. Sometimes it’s:
- Coaching teammates
- Seeing patterns across teams
- Identifying gaps and resolving them without being asked
- Bringing calm and direction during uncertainty
Start tracking those moments. You may be contributing more than you’re giving yourself credit for—just in ways that aren’t being formally acknowledged.
Step 3: Lead Without Waiting for Permission
Want to lead again? Don’t wait for an org chart change.
Take ownership of one piece of the chaos. Fix a recurring problem. Volunteer to align two teams on a cross-functional issue. Make your value undeniable by stepping into the gaps others ignore.
When I made this shift, I stopped asking to be seen and started solving what needed solving. Strategic documents, delivery plans, team rituals—I built clarity even when it wasn’t assigned to me.
Step 4: Influence Upward Strategically
Once you’ve created some traction, start reframing your conversations with leadership.
Try language like:
- “I’ve been thinking about how we could better align execution to our overall goals—can I run something by you?”
- “There’s a pattern I’m seeing that I believe we can improve with a small shift in approach. Want to take a look together?”
These small nudges establish you as someone who isn’t just doing the work—you’re thinking about how the work fits into the bigger picture.
Step 5: Build External Credibility
Even as you shift internally, build your leadership presence outside your role:
- Share your perspective online
- Write about the things you care about (like this blog)
- Connect with other professionals working through similar transitions
Sometimes your own company won’t see your leadership until the rest of the world does.
Leadership, Reframed
In Special Forces, leadership wasn’t always loud or visible. It was about owning outcomes, leading by example, and showing up when it mattered. That experience shaped how I operate in every environment.
Even without a title, you can lead. Even in a miscast role, you can influence. And the moment you step back into that mindset, things start to shift.
Bottom Line
If you’re in the wrong seat—but you know you’re built to lead—this is your reminder: You don’t need permission to realign.
Start small. Take ownership. Reframe your value. Lead out loud.
And if you want to connect with others who are doing the same—I’m always open to the conversation.
