Why You Keep Getting Passed Over for Executive Roles (and How to Fix It)

It’s frustrating. You’re a tech leader with years of solid results. Your teams like you. You consistently deliver. So why do you keep getting passed over for Director or VP roles?

Here’s a hard truth:

It’s usually not because you lack the skill.

It’s because you’re still positioning yourself like someone doing the work—not leading it.

When asked, “Why are you qualified for this role?”, most leaders default to safe, familiar ground. They list years of experience, technical certifications, and products shipped. They hope this laundry list of achievements will prove they’re ready for more.

But that’s the catch.

Executives aren’t hired just for what they’ve done. They’re hired for how they think, how they inspire, and how they drive outcomes across the business.

So if your answer is all about your past, with no connection to future value, it’s likely you’ll keep getting edged out by candidates who know how to speak the executive language.

Instead, here’s what works:

• Start by showing you understand the company’s vision and what success looks like in this role.

• Share a short, focused story of how you’ve solved a problem similar to theirs.

• End by connecting your strengths to their goals—make it clear how you’ll add value going forward.

When you do this, you shift from sounding like someone who executes well, to someone who can guide an organization through complex challenges.

👉 Want to see how to actually build that answer?

Our latest blog post walks you through exactly how to do it, complete with examples and a simple checklist to prepare.

If you’re tired of being the “runner-up,” don’t miss it.

Read it here.

https://drewsaur.com/answering-why-are-you-qualified-for-this-role/