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Resilient Leaders
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JVT, MBA
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THE SKILL
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THAT GOT
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YOU HIRED
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WON'T GET
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YOU
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PROMOTED
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Most professionals think proposals stall because of bad timing or lack of buy-in. Reality? They're solving the wrong problem.
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Whether you're in your role now or preparing for the next one, decoding what decision-makers actually want is how you move from presenting ideas to shaping outcomes. If you're in job search mode, this is how you build decision-making credibility before you're even back in the seat.
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The Reality
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Organizations rarely communicate priorities as clearly as they think they do. One week the focus is efficiency, the next it's innovation, and by the end of the quarter it's cost control. Mid-career professionals take those shifts as personal rejection instead of what they are: new data points about what matters most in the business right now.
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The professionals who thrive don't rely on titles or proximity to power. They read behavior as data. They notice who leaders meet with, what metrics keep resurfacing, and which topics spark follow-up emails. Those cues tell the real story of what drives action.
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The Framework
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Here's how to use the L.A.T.T.E. Framework to cut through the noise
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Look
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at what's being measured and reported, not just what's being said. What keeps showing up on agendas or dashboards is a signal.
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Anticipate
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where the business is headed based on that pattern. Don't wait for a formal strategy memo. Observe and project.
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Think
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through how your work aligns with those evolving priorities. How can your proposal make their current problem easier to solve?
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Talk
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using the language of the decision-maker. Lead with outcomes they're tracking, not the effort you're investing.
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Evaluate
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what lands and what doesn't within 24 to 48 hours. Debrief after good meetings too. The goal is to spot patterns, not wait for mistakes.
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Here's where neuroscience helps. When people feel seen and understood, their brains release oxytocin, which increases trust and receptivity. By speaking in the metrics and language your decision-maker already values, you're reducing cognitive resistance. They hear alignment instead of persuasion.
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Another layer: clarity calms the brain. Decision fatigue is real. When your proposal is simple, concise, and framed around what they care about most, it reduces the brain's processing load. That makes approval easier. Not because the idea changed, but because the delivery made thinking easier.
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So before you send another proposal, ask yourself: Am I solving the problem they care about most right now?
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Follow what the data and behavior reveal, not what the words promise.
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Opportunities
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Companies hiring now
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