The promotion goes to the leader who's already thinking two levels up.
A daily 8-minute show for mid-senior leaders who want to get noticed by the top table — and be ready before the role opens.
Hard work got you here. It won't get you there.
Promotions don't go to the busiest leaders. They go to the ones senior leaders already recognize as peers — people who speak the language of strategy, carry executive presence, and make decisions like they already own the bigger role.
Skip Level is your daily shortcut to that leader. Every morning, in about eight minutes, hosts Maya and Marcus break down one strategic-leadership idea: what's new, why it matters, and exactly how to use it before your next meeting.
Maya brings the frameworks and ideas. Marcus asks the questions you're already thinking and keeps everything grounded in real situations. Every episode ends with action steps you can actually take that day.
What you'll get
A daily 8-minute episode — short enough for the commute, sharp enough to change how you show up.
Strategy you can speak — learn to frame your work the way promotion committees think.
Executive presence, decoded — the most cited, least explained factor in who gets promoted.
Real stories, real moves — no theory without application, no advice without action steps.
This show comes from Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this episode at: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/nobodys-coming/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/nobodys-coming/)
She waited three years to be noticed. Then she built a business case, booked a dedicated meeting, and asked — landing the VP role. Maya and Marcus deliver the hardest truth in the series: if you don't ask, you don't get. Three moves: build the business case (not "I need" but "the business needs someone at this level"), ask for the roadmap not just the role, and make the ask specific and scheduled — then pause and let them process. Lisa's story. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
24 Oct 2026
Write Like the Room You Want to Enter
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
His forty-slide deck died in the exec meeting. His two-page memo got the decision. Maya and Marcus unpack why the higher you climb, the more writing matters — from Bezos banning PowerPoint at Amazon in 2004 to the six-page narrative memo. Three moves: lead with the answer (recommendation first, then why), write the memo not the deck, and write for the skimmer two levels up. Sam's story — the director who rewrote a dead deck as a 2-page memo and got the green light. Your ideas only climb as high as your words can carry them. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
23 Oct 2026
Influence Without Authority
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this episode at: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/influence-without-authority/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/influence-without-authority/)
75% of cross-functional teams fail at their basic goals. But a program manager with zero direct reports shipped a launch across four teams — by making it everyone else's win. Maya and Marcus unpack how to lead when you have no title: map the interests, trade in currencies (give first), and make it their win. With fewer layers and leadership dispersing laterally, influence is becoming the core senior skill. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
22 Oct 2026
Managing Up Without Sucking Up
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this episode: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/managing-up/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/managing-up/)
Managing up isn't sucking up — it's one of the most promotable skills there is. Maya and Marcus break down how to create value for your boss without losing yourself: learn their operating system, bring solutions not problems, and make them look good upward (no surprises). Adapting to your boss's communication style makes you 70% more effective. Alex's story — the senior manager with a vague big-picture boss who started sending a Friday 5-bullet update, turning him into her biggest advocate. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
21 Oct 2026
The Strategic No
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this episode: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/the-strategic-no/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/the-strategic-no/)
He said yes to 11 initiatives. His flagship slipped twice. Maya and Marcus make the case that "no" is a promotion skill: 94% of professionals work 50+ hours a week, context-switching costs up to 40% of productive time, and overcommitment directly predicts burnout. Three moves: pause before every yes, tie every no to a strategic yes, and publish a Not Doing List. Tom's story — from scattered VP to focused leader who shipped three big bets. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
20 Oct 2026
Your Work Doesn't Speak for Itself
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this episode: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/work-doesnt-speak/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/work-doesnt-speak/)
Her dashboard saved the company millions. Nobody upstairs knew her name — until she started writing a monthly one-pager. Maya and Marcus unpack the visibility paradox: identical performance gets rated differently based on who's narrating it. Three moves: document as you go (build a receipts file), narrate the work not yourself, and establish a visibility rhythm. Nadia's story — from invisible analyst to principal. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
19 Oct 2026
Stop Collecting Mentors
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this episode: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/stop-collecting-mentors/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/stop-collecting-mentors/)
You've got mentors. You've had the coffee chats. So why hasn't anyone opened a door for you? Maya and Marcus unpack the research on the one relationship that actually moves careers — and why the people with the most mentors often get promoted the slowest. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
18 Oct 2026
The Real Meeting Happens Before the Meeting
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this episode: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/real-meeting-before/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/real-meeting-before/)
You brought the best data in the room. Everyone nodded. And the decision went the other way anyway. Maya and Marcus unpack the research on where decisions are actually made — and the four moves that separate leaders who present from leaders who decide. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
17 Oct 2026
The Override Call — When to Trust Your Judgment Over AI
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this episode: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/the-override-call/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/the-override-call/)
The AI said yes. Her judgment said no — and she was right. Maya and Marcus dig into fresh 2026 research on how senior leaders really handle AI recommendations, why the most confident-sounding AI is the most dangerous kind, and the three-test framework for knowing when your judgment should overrule the machine. Plus: the dissent memo that turned one leader's override into a promotion story. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
17 Oct 2026
The Succession Logjam — Why Nobody Above You Is Leaving (and What That Unlocks for You)
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this episode: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/the-succession-logjam/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/the-succession-logjam/)
What if the biggest thing between you and your next promotion isn't a competitor or a budget — but the fact that your boss isn't going anywhere? Executive turnover has cratered, and nearly 60% of late-career execs plan to stay put. Maya and Marcus lay out the playbook for getting promoted when there's no seat to promote into — including Dana's story, the director who got a VP role created around her. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
16 Oct 2026
The Information Tax at the Top
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this episode: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/information-tax-at-the-top/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/information-tax-at-the-top/)
The higher you climb, the less truth you hear. Maya and Marcus unpack Gallup's 2026 finding that senior leaders are 10 points lonelier than their teams — and why it's really an information problem. Plus the three quiet filters warping what reaches the top, and how being the person who tells the truth upward becomes a career move. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
16 Oct 2026
Executive Presence — The 26% Nobody Explains
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this worksheet: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/the-26-nobody-explains/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/the-26-nobody-explains/)
A quarter of your next promotion has nothing to do with your results. Maya and Marcus decode executive presence — the most cited and least explained factor in who gets promoted — through Priya's story: her best quarter ever, and a review that just said 'you need more executive presence. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
16 Oct 2026
The Promotion Language Is Strategy
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! (https://rss.com/podcasts/skip-level/voicemail)
Free worksheet for this episode: https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/promotion-language-is-strategy/ (https://crayonleadership.com/podcast/skip-level/promotion-language-is-strategy/)
What if the reason you're not getting promoted has nothing to do with how hard you work? Maya and Marcus unpack fresh 2026 research on what promotion committees actually reward — and why the habits that earned your last promotion may be blocking your next one. Maya and Marcus are AI voices, created with text-to-speech. This show is written and produced by Joe Dutkiewicz of Crayon Leadership. Joe equips mid-senior leaders to think and act two levels up, so they're recognizable to top leaders and ready for the promotion before it opens. Find Joe on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and at the Crayon Leadership website.
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