From Project Manager to Executive: The Leadership Habits That Get You Noticed

Many professionals reach a ceiling in mid-career — particularly project managers. You’re organised, results-driven, and often the one who keeps everything afloat. But making the leap from capable manager to strategic executive requires more than just delivery — it takes leadership visibility, mental reconditioning, and elite habits.

This article is for project managers in their 30s, 40s and 50s who want to step into bigger roles. Whether you're in tech, construction, energy, defence, or healthcare, the strategies below will help you level up — inspired not just by corporate theory, but also by elite military leadership from the UK, US, and Israeli forces.

1. Project Managers Get Things Done. Executives Get Things Moving.

The biggest shift from manager to executive is this: Executives shape the game. Managers play it well.

Project managers often live in Gantt charts and delivery milestones. But execs operate with foresight. They don’t just ask “what needs to be done?” — they ask “what’s coming next?”, “what’s changing in our sector?”, and “how do we evolve before we’re forced to?”

If you want to make the leap:

• Zoom out: Where is your industry going? What’s on the CEO’s mind?

• Bring insight: Start speaking the language of risk, growth, reputation, and competitive advantage.

• Speak upward: Position your reports and updates around what decision-makers care about (not just task completion).

2. Adopt the "Commander’s Intent" Mindset

Borrowed from military doctrine, especially within US and Israeli defence forces, the idea of “Commander’s Intent” is simple:

“Don’t just follow the plan. Understand the purpose behind it — so if things change, you can still deliver the desired outcome.”

This mindset is gold for project managers who want to be seen as executive-ready. Instead of being task-focused, become mission-focused.

Try this:

• At the start of every project, ask: What’s the strategic intent?

• Make sure your team understands not just what they’re doing, but why.

• In reviews and updates, communicate how your team adapted to hit the “intent” — not just the checklist.

3. Upgrade from Project Thinking to Portfolio Thinking

Executives don’t think in isolated wins. They think in ecosystems.

If you’ve delivered five big projects over five years — start looking for the meta-story:

• What long-term value did those projects generate?

• How did they connect to your company’s strategic pillars?

• What cross-functional skills did you demonstrate across all five?

This is where CVs and LinkedIn profiles often fall flat. They list achievements, but not themes. Start thinking of your body of work as a portfolio of business impact.

4. Learn the Leadership Habits of Special Forces

Elite leadership isn’t about barking orders. It’s about building trust, clarity, and momentum under pressure. The best Special Forces operators lead with:

• Psychological Safety

Both the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) and British Special Forces teach instructors to create teams where people feel safe to speak. High-trust units outperform fear-based ones every time.

• Discipline Through Routine

In both the US and UK military, daily habits (drills, kit checks, PT) aren’t just about fitness — they’re about cognitive readiness. Routine creates stability under chaos.

Apply this to your career:

• Set regular reflection time to assess your leadership.

• Build repeatable processes that reduce decision fatigue.

• Encourage your team to reflect and grow, not just act.

• Decision-Making Under Fire

From battlefield triage to boardroom crisis, leaders are measured by how they decide under pressure. The IDF’s officer training includes "snap judgment under uncertainty" — teaching leaders to stay calm and act even when perfect information isn’t available. That’s a habit senior managers must develop.

5. Reframe Leadership as Influence, Not Authority

Military leaders earn respect through presence, not just rank. The same goes for executives.

Start showing up differently:

• Coach instead of instructing.

• Ask questions that provoke strategic thought.

• Develop narratives: Share the why behind decisions, not just the what.

If your team sees you as the person who brings clarity, conviction, and calm — you’re already leading at executive level, no matter your title.

6. Document Your Career Like a Strategist

Too many professionals undersell themselves with vague CVs and generic bios.

Executives are storytellers. They know how to align their career with business value.

Use this simple SAR framework (used in elite CV building):

• S – Situation

What was at stake?

• A – Action

What did you actually do?

• R – Result

What changed, improved, or accelerated as a result?

Example:

“Led a turnaround project on a failing £10M infrastructure rollout (S). Rebuilt stakeholder confidence, brought in lean delivery methods, and restructured delivery cadence (A). Achieved project delivery three months early with £1.2M in cost savings (R).”

That’s executive communication.

7. Think in Metrics, Messages and Missions

Executives get noticed when they combine:

• Metrics: Clear results in numbers

• Messages: Strategic narratives that make people care

• Missions: Purpose-driven goals that align with the bigger picture

If you want to move from project to executive, build your story using all three.

8. Master the Art of Strategic Persuasion

Leadership isn’t just about delivering — it’s about enrolling others in your vision.

This is where US military training shines. Officers are taught to:

• Understand stakeholder incentives

• Map influence networks

• Use intent-based communication to create alignment

In corporate terms, this means:

• Building cross-functional support

• Managing up and across, not just down

• Influencing decisions before meetings even start

Want to move up? Start shaping outcomes, not just executing orders.

9. Control the Narrative of Your Career

You don’t get promoted for the hard work no one sees.

You get promoted for the hard work you frame, package, and connect to business value.

That’s why visibility, storytelling, and strategic communication matter just as much as delivery.

Start by:

• Updating your LinkedIn with portfolio-level wins

• Telling executive-aligned stories in your performance reviews

• Connecting your success to organisational growth metrics

10. Use Career Branding to Project Your Executive Identity

Professionals in their 30s, 40s, and 50s often hit a wall not because of talent — but because their career identity hasn’t evolved with their capability.

It’s not enough to be executive material. You have to look and sound like it.

Ask yourself:

• Does your CV read like someone who solves big problems?

• Does your LinkedIn profile signal executive presence?

• Is your messaging future-facing, not backward-looking?

If not — it’s time to rebrand.

Final Thought: Your Past Prepares You. But Your Future Needs Strategy.

Project managers don’t stay “project managers” forever. But becoming an executive requires more than tenure — it requires transformation.

You’ve already got the delivery skills. Now it’s time to:

• Operate with insight

• Lead with impact

• Communicate with strategy

• And position yourself like a decision-maker

The gap between mid-career and senior leadership isn’t about age. It’s about alignment — between your value, your visibility, and your vision.

The Bigger Picture

At Bigger Fish Executive Branding, we help professionals build that alignment — through personal brand strategy, elite CVs, and executive-ready LinkedIn profiles.

Our framework is built around:

• A two-hour deep-dive with a specialist to uncover your unique value

• SAR-based storytelling that connects your work to business impact

• Metrics, tone, and structure that speak to senior stakeholders

• Messaging that fits your goals — not just your history

If you're aiming for that senior promotion, stepping back in after a break, or finally going after the role you know you're ready for — your brand needs to lead the way.

Because your next chapter should reflect who you’ve become.

Email our team at executive.branding@bigger-fish.co.uk or visit our website at www.bigger-fish.co.uk

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