The VP role is not a bigger Director job. It is a different role completely.
Whether you just stepped into your first VP seat or you're a seasoned VP aiming for SVP, the skills that earned your promotion stop working at the next level. Our VP and SVP coaching helps leaders navigate the altitude shift — the first 90 days, the identity shift, the political landscape, and the communication demands of the executive table.
At Director, you were evaluated on your team's output. At VP, you are evaluated on enterprise outcomes you cannot directly control. The director-to-VP promotion changes everything: scope expands, stakeholders multiply, and the instinct to work harder and manage tighter is exactly wrong.
The VP role demands a different altitude — strategic thinking, leading through other leaders, and influencing in rooms where you are one of many voices. The question is whether you figure this out before the organization forms its opinion of you, or after.
The VP role demands skills that are rarely taught and almost never coached. We focus on the four areas where VPs most consistently struggle.
30 minutes. Virtual. No pitch.
Research shows 50-60% of newly elevated executives underperform in their first 18 months. The gap is not talent — it is transition strategy. Here is what the first 90 days actually demand.
Conduct a structured listening tour. Map what stakeholders need and which early wins build credibility.
You built your career solving hard problems. At VP, your value comes from the direction you set and the leaders you develop — not the problems you personally solve.
Map the real power structure and alliances before you need them. Moving fast without this map is the most common cause of VP derailment.
New VPs try to do everything. The ones who thrive narrow to three priorities and defend that focus through the first six months.
Leadership transition coaching is executive coaching designed specifically for leaders navigating critical career transitions — from director to VP, VP to SVP, or into the C-suite. It addresses expanded scope, stakeholder complexity, ELT communication, political navigation, and the shift from managing teams to leading organizations.
The biggest challenges include the altitude shift from operational to strategic thinking, managing a dramatically larger stakeholder map, communicating effectively with the executive leadership team, navigating organizational politics, learning to influence without authority, and leading through other leaders rather than doing the work yourself.
A new VP should spend the early transition period conducting a structured listening tour, mapping the political landscape, building relationships with key stakeholders and peers, and identifying the three priorities that will define the first year. The biggest mistake is coming in too fast and trying to prove yourself before you understand the terrain.
At Director level, success is defined by delivering results through your team within your function. At VP level, success is defined by your ability to influence enterprise outcomes across functions, navigate politics, communicate at the ELT level, and think strategically about the business. The skills that make a great Director often work against you at VP.
Yes — and it is more common than most VPs admit. The VP role genuinely requires different skills than what earned the promotion, and the gap is real. Research consistently shows 50-60% of recently elevated executives underperform in their first 18 months. The feeling of overwhelm is not a sign of weakness; it is a signal that the role demands a structured transition approach, not just harder work. The leaders who acknowledge this and get structured support ramp faster and build stronger foundations.
Leadership transition coaching at Stratos ranges from $2,499 for a focused 5-session engagement to $5,499 for a full 12-session engagement. Ongoing advisory retainers are available at $2,999 per month. The investment reflects the seniority of the engagement and the experience of our coaches. For a detailed breakdown of market pricing across providers, see our complete guide to executive coaching costs.
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