From VP to CEO: The Skills, Sacrifices & Unspoken Rules Nobody Tells You
September 18, 2025
Getting to the C-suite isn’t just about snagging a bigger title or a corner office, it’s about shifting from tactics to strategy, leading through layers, and surviving the politics (yes, they exist).
In this debut episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, hosts Gerard Miles and Dan Hampton unpack what separates great VPs from true executives, why empathy and gravitas matter more than charisma, and the real-life trade-offs, from endless travel to leadership loneliness, that come with the top job.
In this debut episode of Mission One: The Executive Edge, hosts Gerard Miles and Dan Hampton dig into what it truly means to reach the C-suite and why the corner office isn’t always the prize it seems. Drawing on their years of executive search experience across global giants and fast-growth startups, they unpack the leap from VP to C-level, where the job shifts from delivering results to owning vision, influence, and strategy.
They explore why empathy and communication are underrated power skills, how “leading through layers” separates good leaders from great ones, and why gravitas, more than charisma, is the quality that earns lasting respect. The conversation also takes a candid look at the trade-offs: more travel, more pressure, less proximity to your team, and the isolation that often comes with the top job.
Gerard and Dan round things out with practical hiring advice for boards and CEOs, including why charisma without substance can be dangerous, how politics play out in large organizations, and why sometimes the hungriest number two is a better bet than the safest, most seasoned candidate. It’s an honest, witty, and clear-eyed guide for anyone aiming not just to land a C-level title, but to thrive once they get there.
What You’ll Learn
They explore why empathy and communication are underrated power skills, how “leading through layers” separates good leaders from great ones, and why gravitas, more than charisma, is the quality that earns lasting respect. The conversation also takes a candid look at the trade-offs: more travel, more pressure, less proximity to your team, and the isolation that often comes with the top job.
Gerard and Dan round things out with practical hiring advice for boards and CEOs, including why charisma without substance can be dangerous, how politics play out in large organizations, and why sometimes the hungriest number two is a better bet than the safest, most seasoned candidate. It’s an honest, witty, and clear-eyed guide for anyone aiming not just to land a C-level title, but to thrive once they get there.
What You’ll Learn
- The real differences between VP and C-suite leadership
- Why strategy and vision matter more than tactics at the top
- How empathy, communication, and “reading the room” can make or break careers
- The pros and cons of charisma in executive leadership
- What gravitas is (and how it’s not just an old Roman word)
- Why politics in big companies isn’t always a dirty word
- The personal costs of leadership, from travel to isolation
- Hiring tips for boards: why you should consider the ambitious number two
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Episode Resources:
- Gerard Miles on LinkedIn
- Dan Hampton on LinkedIn
- Mission One: The Executive Edge on Apple Podcasts
- Mission One: The Executive Edge on Spotify
- Mission One: The Executive Edge on YouTube
- Gravitas by Caroline Goyder
- Radical Candor by Kim Scott
- Good to Great by Jim Collins