Busy ≠ Valuable: How to Prioritize Work That Gets You Promoted

If you’re sick of working longer hours, giving it your all, and still getting passed over — this episode will help you figure out where to stop wasting effort and instead allow you to  start focusing on the work that actually gets you promoted.

Let’s talk about your daily reality. 

If you’re like many of the women I talk to on a daily basis . . .

You’re doing more than ever.

Late nights. Overflowing inbox. Meetings back-to-back.

But when you finally lift your head up from the chaos… it hits you: You’re not actually moving forward.

You’re producing. You’re the go-to.

But you’re not getting promoted.

You’re not being pulled into higher-level conversations.

And your work, however excellent, isn’t translating into real executive visibility.

Here’s the truth no one tells women leaders early enough:

Busyness doesn’t equal value.

And being the one who “gets it done” won’t get you promoted — not at the executive level.

That’s because strategic leaders don’t just work harder — they choose better.

They prioritize work that moves the business forward and positions them for their next role.

In today’s episode, I’m going to help you shift out of firefighting mode — and into strategic leadership.

When you’re snowed under and just trying to stay afloat, how do you figure out what the work is that will make a difference to your career? 

Well that’s what I’m going to unpack. We’re talking about all the things you need to be seen and taken seriously. What impactful work actually looks like.
The difference between effort and executive influence
And how to start prioritizing the work that actually gets you promoted

Because staying busy will keep you exactly where you are.

So do yourself one favour this week. Take this next 30 minutes to learn the shifts you need to make and how to implement them to unlock your next level of career. All with less stress and less burnout. 

It’s time to lead differently — and I’m here to show you how.

So let’s dive in. 

Let’s talk about why smart, capable women—like you—stay stuck in the busy trap.

This isn’t a personality flaw.

It’s not because you’re disorganized, bad at prioritizing, or don’t have “executive presence.”

It’s a pattern. A very common one.

And if you’re a woman in tech or leadership — you’ve likely been conditioned into it.

You were told — implicitly or explicitly — that being helpful is how you prove your value.

That being the go-to person is how you get noticed.

That working harder, taking on more, and always saying yes is how you earn trust.

And you are trustworthy.

You are capable.

But if your performance is always rooted in volume — not visibility, not strategy — you’ll eventually hit a ceiling.

Because here’s the truth: being the reliable one becomes a trap.

You do the work no one else wants to.

You fix the problems others ignore.

You carry the team across the finish line.

But instead of elevating your career, all that output actually crowds out your strategic influence.

You’re too busy to think big.

Too buried to raise your head and say, “Hey — here’s a better way.”

Let me tell you about a client of mine — we’ll call her Kendra.

Kendra was a Senior Director of Product at a hypergrowth scale-up.

She was known for getting things done.

Her roadmap execution was flawless. Her team loved her.

But she kept getting passed over for promotion.

Why?

Because her calendar was wall-to-wall.

She was in the weeds. Constantly.

She had a team under her. She was in charge of product. But when discussions came around about product leadership she was excluded and instead leadership was given to the newly promoted VP of Engineering. 

Here’s what was really going on. 

Kendra had zero time for strategic planning or cross-functional influence — the exact things her boss needed to see in a VP. But her peer in engineering was making sure they were seen this way. And so he was promoted. 

What changed?

We worked together to redefine her “value” — not as everything she could do, but as where her leadership had the biggest impact.

She started delegating more. Saying no more.

But most importantly — she started carving out time for strategic work every single week.

And guess what?

Six months later — she got the promotion. I’ll admit we needed to do some strategic realignment work in the business to convince them that they should hand back product leadership to Kendra instead of leaving it with engineering. But by allowing herself time for strategic thinking, this became a simple exercise in advocating for how the business would generate more revenue by ensuring that roadmaps were developed and fully owned by product. 

Kendra she wasn’t just seen as reliable anymore.

She was seen as a strategic, visionary leader that the organization needed to promote. 

Here’s the real point: they couldn’t afford to not promote her by the time we did this work. And I think this is where many of us fall down. We don’t realize that promotion is far less about what we want, and far more about what the business needs. 

If the business needs you to be promoted you will be promoted. If you are good enough to get the promotion but there isn’t a business need, the only reason you’ll get promoted is if they think you’re a flight risk. And that’s a hard one to sell. 

So if you’ve been stuck in the busy trap, I want you to hear this loud and clear:

Your busyness is not a badge of honor.

It’s a sign that your leadership needs a reset — not a bigger to-do list.

And while you are in busy mode, no one is seeing that you need to be promoted for the benefit of the business. 

In fact quite the opposite – they think they can’t do without you in your current role because you are so damn busy that it would cost them more to replace. 

That’s the narrative we’ve got to change. 

So let’s dig into this more. One of the most frustrating realities in leadership is that being great at your job doesn’t guarantee you’ll get promoted.

You can be the person who fixes everything.

Who delivers flawlessly.

Who everyone relies on.

And still — your name doesn’t come up in promotion conversations.

Why?

Because there’s a gap.

A gap between performance and promotability.

And a view that they need you to do the job more than anything else. 

And unless you understand how to bridge the gap and deal with perception that you are more cost effective where you are — you’ll keep doing more and more, while wondering why you’re still being overlooked.

Here’s the truth:

Promotions aren’t given for effort. They’re given for perception.

That might feel a little unfair — and yes, it’s systemically broken in many ways — but if you want to rise, you need to understand how executives assess potential.

They’re not just looking at your output.

They’re looking at your impact.

Your influence.

Your executive presence.

They’re asking:

– Does this person make us think differently?

– Are they shaping outcomes, not just delivering tasks?

– Do they lead with clarity and direction — or are they constantly reacting?

And ultimately

– Will we make more money and/or save money by promoting this person. 

That is the big question that all the other things are feeding into. 

After all thinking differently is really about saying ‘we’re ready for new ideas’. 

Shaping outcomes in a business that wants more direct impact on the bottom line.

Leading with clarity and direction is about remove slack in the system, dealing with difficult situations smoothly, and leading a team swiftly through change. Every change is painful for a company, but the leaders who make a company the most money are the ones who help their team move through it faster. And that’s a skill. It takes constant clarity and direction work. 

Here’s what happens when you don’t prioritize impactful work:

You get stuck in reactive mode.

You handle the urgent instead of shaping the important.

Your team might feel supported but they aren’t moving through change in high performance mode. 

And people begin to see you as “solid,” “helpful,” “reliable”… but not strategic.

Not ready for the next level.

Let me break it down.

If your calendar is full of status meetings, fixing broken processes, onboarding others, and jumping in to help — but you’re not spending time on cross-functional influence, thought leadership, or long-term initiatives?

You’re in the performance trap.

If everytime a new idea, process or product line is brought in your team resists and debates for days on end. You’re not seen as the leader that can shift through change fast and bring the team to productivity. 

And the perception — even if it’s not fair — is:

“She’s doing great. Let’s keep her there.”

Not: “She’s ready for more.”

Let’s talk about the signs you might be falling into this trap. If you find that

– You’re rarely asked to lead strategic projects.

– You’re left out of early planning conversations.

– Your boss compliments your helpfulness, not your vision.

– Or promotions are happening around you — but you’re told your “too valuable” in your current role.

You’ve got a problem. 

But you are not alone.

This is especially common for women who’ve been conditioned to prove themselves through busyness, not boldness.

So what do you do?

Step one is that you name it.

You recognize the performance vs. promotion gap for what it is — and you stop trying to work your way out of it through more effort.

Stop telling yourself you’re stuck because you aren’t prepared to work more hours, travel more and sacrifice yet more time with your family because you they’re never going to give you that promotion. That’s a story. And an unhelpful story at that. So let go of efforting your way to promotion. It doesn’t work. 

The second step? 

You get clear on the real gaps that are holding you back — and that’s exactly why I created the Promotion Readiness Scorecard.

It’s a quick, strategic diagnostic tool to help you figure out where your efforts are going unseen — and what to shift to finally get the recognition you deserve.

You can grab it at tonicollis.com/scorecard . I’ll make sure the link is in the shownotes alongside today’s episode. 

Let’s talk about execution mode for just a minute. 

There is a cost here which I’ve hinted at. But the real cost isn’t that it’s exhausting and that it drains you. It is. But the real cost is the perception of others. 

It’s also undermining your promotability.

Let’s start with the tangible costs.

When your calendar is packed with meetings, check-ins, and to-dos…

When you’re the first to jump in, the one who’s always available, always helpful…

You have no time to be strategic.

You’re in reaction mode.

You’re fixing problems — not shaping what happens next.

And in leadership? That’s a visibility problem.

Because people don’t see your vision — they just see your hustle.

And hustle doesn’t get you promoted.

Even worse hustle makes them think ‘we can’t afford to not have her doing that role’. 

Strategic influence and opportunity are what make you promotable. 

Here’s the next layer: the strategic cost.

When you’re always downstream from the real decisions — reacting to what’s already been set, implementing someone else’s direction — you’re not being seen as a peer. You’re not being seen as a leader who sets the vision.

And the longer you stay in that space — the harder it is to reposition yourself as someone who drives the conversation.

This is one of the reasons why I’m a huge advocate of transition coaching – those first 90 days are everything to your reputation and success. Whether it is the first 90 days in a new company, a new position in an old company or even taking on a new responsibility, how you perform and how your team responds to you in those first 90 days sets the tone for the rest of your time in that role, and ultimately even that organization. Your promotability in 1 or 2 years time is heavily influenced by your first 90 days. 

And then there’s the emotional toll.

The resentment that creeps in when others get promoted while you’re carrying the team.

The self-doubt that whispers: “Maybe I’m not ready.” after you’ve been passed over yet again. And yes, you can be simultaneously deeply pissed off at not being promoted and doubting yourself all in the same moment. 

And that is a form of invisibility — when your hard work goes unacknowledged, again. And that is just hard to swallow. 

If you’re nodding along right now, here’s what I want you to hear:

Being the go-to person isn’t a career strategy.

Yes, it feels good in the moment.

Yes, you’re capable, and it’s hard to watch things fall through the cracks.

But if your whole leadership identity is wrapped up in “being helpful”…

You’re building a reputation as a doer and the ‘old reliable’ — not a strategic driver.

And here’s the kicker:

When you’re constantly in execution mode, when you’re always busy, always doing — you’re eroding your executive presence.

Because executive presence isn’t about being the busiest.

It’s about being the calm in the chaos.

It’s about holding the bigger picture.

It’s about making the room stop and listen — because your words carry weight.

If you’re constantly on the hamster wheel, frantically reacting, never coming up for air…

You’re not building that kind of presence.

So if you’re realizing that your current way of working isn’t just unsustainable — it’s actually holding you back?

You’re right.

This is the moment to shift.

Because your career deserves more than survival mode.

Next, let’s talk about how to identify the right work — the kind of work that actually gets you noticed, valued, and promoted.

Let’s talk about how to let go of being the ‘go-to-person’.

The first step is to figure out what impactful work actually looks like — the kind of work that builds visibility, positions you as a strategic leader, and helps you get promoted.

Because so many women I coach have never been told this.

They’re focused on being helpful, responsive, and productive…

But no one’s taught them how to prioritize impactful work — work that’s aligned with leadership.

So let’s break it down.

There are three categories of work that matter if you want to grow your influence, increase your visibility, and move up.

The first category is the work that moves business goals forward.

This is work that has a clear line of sight to company or departmental objectives.

If it’s not traceable to OKRs, revenue, retention, scalability, efficiency, or strategic differentiation — it’s probably not high-impact.

Busywork might feel necessary. But it’s often disconnected from business outcomes.

Impactful work creates momentum on what matters most to the business.

The second category is the work that creates visibility for your leadership.

This is the work that gets your name into rooms you’re not in yet.

Now before you go – “yeah I know a guy like that. He’s an unpleasant schmoozer that no one respects”. Here me out. 

This work is the work that includes presenting at leadership meetings, owning initiatives that cut across teams, and thought leadership internally (or even externally, depending on your role). That isn’t schmoozing, it’s creating impact that’s visible beyond your immediate business unit. It’s recognizing that a business is a complex organism but a group of disparate business units. If you can step away from the weeds and start doing work that helps with the glue of an organization you are immediately going to be more visible and make a difference as you do so.

If no one sees the great work you’re doing — it doesn’t count in terms of promotion readiness.

You have to be visible, not just valuable.

The third and final category is the work that builds or influences cross-functional strategy.

This is the real game-changer.

It isn’t just cross-functional glue. It’s the strategy that means the glue sticks, or shifts form to something extraordinary. 

Companies need to evolve and change. A company that just operates tactically will be out of business in a year. 

Companies that evolve compete and stay relevant. 

Strategic leaders are the ones that provide this. 

It’s not just executing it’s connecting  dots across teams. It’s about influencing decisions that span silos. As leaders we need to see the big picture and help others see it too.

If you’re always working inside your lane — even if you’re doing it flawlessly — it’s harder for others to see you as someone ready for the next level.

So what can you do with this?

Here’s a tactical tip I use with my clients:

Audit your calendar.

→ Look at your meetings and your to-dos from the past two weeks.

→ Ask yourself: Which of these were truly tied to business goals? Which ones elevated my visibility or voice? Which ones helped shape broader strategy?

If the majority of your time is going to:

– Firefighting

– Internal admin

– Filling in gaps for underperforming peers

– Always being available…

That’s not impact.

That’s being being the tactical executor, not the organization’s evolving strategic voice. You’re the glue behind the scenes, not the glue of the future! 

This doesn’t get promoted.

Let me give you an example:

Responding to Slack messages within 2 minutes?

→ That’s busy.

Taking the time to draft a thoughtful proposal that shifts how your team approaches a cross-functional bottleneck so they don’t come back to you with this again? 

→ That’s impact.

Jumping into a last-minute meeting to save the day?

→ That’s helpful — but possibly not strategic.

Delegating the short-term fix so you can prep for a presentation on long-term product strategy?

→ That’s executive mindset work.

Here’s the shift:

You don’t need to do more.

You need to choose better.

In fact I’d argue that to choose better you actually need to be less busy. 

Strategic thinking doesn’t mean solving every problem. It means having the brain space to identify the right problems to solve. And being seen solving them. 

Let’s talk about how to actually shift your priorities — because knowing what matters isn’t enough if your calendar is still being run by urgency and guilt.

And believe me I’ve been in the trap of feeling that I was just spinning and spinning and that there was no time to plan or even prioritize. 

If you want to build executive presence, get promoted, and finally feel like your work reflects your potential — you need new filters.

New questions. New boundaries.

Let’s start with one of my favorites:

The CEO Filter

Ask yourself:

“Would the CEO care if I did this?”

This isn’t about disrespecting the small stuff — it’s about elevation.

It’s about separating urgency from importance.

Would your CEO want you spending 2 hours formatting a slide deck…

Or thinking critically about how to unblock a cross-team initiative that’s slowing growth?

High-level leaders don’t focus on getting everything done.

They focus on getting the right things done.

If your calendar is filled with tasks the CEO would never notice —

it’s time to reassess your prioritization skills.

Next tool:

The Impact Multiplier Question

This one’s simple but powerful:

“What will still matter 90 days from now?”

That fire drill?

The seventh Slack ping about a minor issue?

They feel important now. But will they matter in 3 months?

Will they move your career forward?

Will they be the thing your boss remembers in your next review?

Strategic leaders invest their energy in what compounds.

This is one of the most underutilized self-coaching techniques for leaders — and it’s transformative when you apply it weekly.

Now let’s address one of the biggest traps high-performing women fall into:

Stop Being the Safety Net

If your default is to step in, fix it, cover for others, or “just take it on” — you’re probably overfunctioning.

It feels helpful. It feels fast. But it’s also eroding your ability to lead.

Here’s the reframe:

Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should.

If you’re the glue that keeps things running — amazing.

But glue doesn’t get promoted.

Strategic leaders delegate.

This isn’t about shirking responsibility — it’s about shifting your energy to the highest-leverage work.

And that brings us to your final tool:

The 15-Minute Weekly Priority Reset

This is something I give almost every client — and it’s a game-changer.

Once a week, pause and ask yourself:

• What are the 3 most impactful things I could do this week to move my strategic goals forward?
  
  
• What’s on my calendar that could be delegated, delayed, or deleted?
  
  
• Where am I spending energy to feel helpful — instead of impactful?
  
  

You don’t need an hour.

Fifteen minutes. Once a week.

To realign, reset, and lead forward.

Because the truth is:

You don’t shift your leadership in one big leap.

You shift it decision by decision, priority by priority.

This is what leadership development looks like — especially for women in tech:

Not working harder.

Not saying yes to everything.

But learning to filter for impact, trust your judgment, and protect your capacity.

In our final section, we’re going to tie this all together and talk about how to lead with calm clarity — instead of reactive busyness.

Because this isn’t just about getting promoted.

It’s about leading like you belong at the next level.

If you’re listening to this and realizing…

Yes, I am constantly busy.

Yes, I am exhausted.

Yes, I am delivering—without getting the recognition or trajectory I deserve…

Then I want you to hear this:

Busyness is not a badge of honor.

And it’s definitely not a strategy for career advancement.

The truth is, what gets you promoted isn’t just doing more —

It’s doing what matters most.

It’s showing up as a strategic, visible, future-thinking leader.

And that shift? It doesn’t happen on its own.

You have to take back the driver’s seat of your leadership.

That starts with:

– Saying no to being everyone’s safety net

– Letting go of the busywork that doesn’t move the needle

– And making space for the decisions, relationships, and visibility that actually get you seen as executive-ready.

And if you’re not sure what to let go of — or what to focus on instead?

Remember I have a tool for you. The Promotion Readiness Scorecard is a quick diagnostic that will help you uncover why you’re not being tapped for the next level — even if you’re delivering strong results.

You’ll find out whether your biggest growth area is strategy, visibility, influence — or something else entirely.

And you’ll get clarity on exactly what to shift first.

👉 Take the quiz at tonicollis.com/scorecard

Because here’s the truth:

You don’t need to do more.

You need to do what matters.

And you need to be seen doing it.

So go check out the scorecard.

And if you’re ready for more personalized support — if you know you’re working hard but not getting promoted — head to tonicollis.com/lets-chat to book a free strategy session with me.

We’ll figure out what’s really going on — and how to lead with strategic clarity, calm confidence, and the kind of presence that gets you tapped for the roles you’re meant for.

Because being busy doesn’t build your legacy.

Being strategic does.