Decode what actually changes between leadership levels.

Harvard Business Review found that 58% of first-time managers receive zero formal training before leading their first team. Yet we tell them to "stay positive" as if attitude alone will bridge the gap. This book addresses the hard truth: we promote people for doing their current job well, not for being ready to think at the next level. Then we blame them for struggling. The problem isn't their attitude. The problem is we never taught them what actually changes.

First Round Capital's research reveals that 73% of directors at companies under 250 people are operating one to two levels below their title. These aren't incompetent people—they're talented professionals thrown into the deep end without training. This section breaks down the specific cognitive shifts required: a manager thinks in days and weeks, a director thinks in months and quarters, a VP thinks in years. Same intelligence, different altitude. We'll examine the language patterns and decision frameworks that distinguish each level—not to judge, but to teach.

I'll never forget hearing my CEO say: "But you're just support." I had a VP title, delivered results, sat in executive meetings—and yet I was thinking one level below where I needed to be. This section shows what "shifting your altitude" actually looks like: How do you stop talking about ticket resolution and start talking about customer lifecycle value? How do you move from solving problems to creating conditions where problems don't occur? You'll get the playbook I wish someone had given me—one that shows you how to stop thinking one level below your title and start thinking one level above.