Invisible Block #2 The Permission Problem
The Moment No One Points Out
There’s a moment in your career that almost no one explicitly names.
Not because it’s rare — but because, like many of the patterns I see with high performers, it’s largely invisible.
And yet, it’s often the moment where things start to feel… slightly off.
Left unrecognised, that feeling turns into hesitation, hesitation into doubt—and from there, a spiral that’s hard to see while you’re in it.
That moment isn’t there because you’re underperforming.
It’s not there because something has clearly gone wrong.
In fact, it’s usually the opposite.
You’re doing well. You’re progressing. You’re being promoted. You’re trusted.
On paper, everything looks exactly as it should.
But internally, there’s a gap.
You’ve been given the role—
but you don’t yet feel the authority that comes with it.
I Recognised It In Myself First
I experienced this very clearly when I moved into running the Asian office.
On paper, I had full ownership.
The role was mine to lead. The responsibility sat with me.
But internally, it didn’t feel that clean.
There was still a part of me that felt responsible for getting it “right” in the eyes of London.
I found myself wanting to make sure I was aligned.
That I was honouring the culture.
That I wasn’t stepping outside of what would be expected from Head Office.
And on the surface, that all sounds reasonable.
But underneath it, there was something else happening.
A subtle hesitation.
A moment before making decisions where I would catch myself thinking:
“Should I just check this?”
“Is this fully mine to call?”
And that’s the gap.
Because externally, the expectation was very clear:
This is yours to run.
But internally, there was still a part of me operating as though I needed to be given that authority.
A Pattern I Now See Everywhere
Since then, I’ve seen this pattern repeatedly with clients.
And interestingly, I also see it reflected in tools I use in my work — like the Hogan Assessment, a personality test which looks at leadership potential, employee fit, amongst other things.
One of the patterns that stands out is this:
In the earlier stages of a career — junior to mid-level — the people who tend to get promoted are often those who score highly on two characteristics identified by Hogan as Dutifulness and Responsibility.
They follow through.
They deliver.
Keen to please. They do what’s asked.
They’re the people you trust to execute.
But when you look at those who move into Senior leadership, something shifts.
The people who are promoted into Leadership often score LOWER on those same traits.
Not because they’re less capable — but because the role itself has changed.
At that level, success is no longer about following the line.
It’s about knowing when to challenge it.
When to think independently.
When to make the call.
When the Rules Quietly Change
The problem is, no one tells you when that shift is expected to happen.
The problem is, no one tells you that what got you promoted… is no longer what will take you further.
There’s no moment where someone sits you down and says:
You don’t need to wait anymore.
You’re allowed to push back.
You’re expected to lead now.
So instead, you continue doing what has always worked.
You execute.
You align.
You deliver.
And, without realising it, you keep waiting.
The Permission Problem
This is what I call The Permission Problem.
And it’s one of the many core drivers of what I work on with clients that I refer to as the Leadership Certainty Gap.
That space between the leader you are expected to be…
and the leader you currently feel like.
It’s not a capability issue.
It’s not about whether you’re ready.
It’s about this moment — where your role has evolved,
but your internal sense of authority hasn’t caught up yet.
Why It Feels So Uncomfortable
This is also why it often gets labelled as imposter syndrome.
Not because you don’t belong.
But because part of you is still waiting to be told that you do.
Waiting for clarity.
Waiting for confidence.
Waiting for a signal that now is the time to fully step in.
The Shift
But that signal doesn’t come.
Because leadership doesn’t arrive with permission. It comes with the willingness to take it.
And until that shift happens…
You remain capable. Trusted.Respected.
BUT slightly held back.
Not by your ability…But by an identity that hasn’t quite caught up with where you already are.
You think you’re waiting for permission to lead. But the truth is, leadership starts the moment you stop waiting—and give yourself the authority you’ve already earned.
What Comes Next
This is just one of the six invisible patterns I see repeatedly in high performers stepping into leadership.
Each one is subtle.
Each one feels personal.
And each one quietly shapes how you operate at this level.
In the next piece, I’ll walk you through how this actually plays out—because for many people, it doesn’t feel like a permission issue. It shows up as something else entirely: a quiet dependence on validation.
Claudia xx
The Leadership Intangibles — because performance isn’t just strategy. It’s how you think, decide, and show up when it matters.