Executives often assume their resume should either showcase their ability to “get things done” or highlight their vision as a leader. The truth is, both approaches miss the mark when taken to the extreme. Too much tactical detail, and you sound like a manager. Too much vision with no grounding, and you sound like a consultant who has never had to deliver.
I call this the Executive Resume Altitude Problem. It’s one of the most common, and most damaging, mistakes I see when reviewing senior-level resumes.
What Is the Altitude Problem?
“Altitude” refers to the level at which you describe your work. Think of it like flying a plane:
Low altitude means you’re too close to the ground. You’re describing tactical details, day-to-day tasks, or administrative processes that don’t reflect executive leadership.
High altitude means you’re flying too far above the clouds. You’re describing vision, strategy, and transformation in broad strokes without offering proof that you actually executed.
Neither extreme works for an executive audience. Recruiters, board members, and decision-makers are looking for candidates who can both set the course and land the plane.
Why Do Executives Struggle With This?
In the real world, great leaders operate at different altitudes every day. You may spend your morning aligning with the board on five-year strategy and your afternoon making a quick call that saves a deal from falling apart. That flexibility is what makes you effective in the role.
But when translating that into a resume, many executives swing too far in one direction:
Some lean heavily into tactical achievements because they don’t want to appear “too fluffy.”
Others default to big-picture vision statements because they assume a senior title speaks for itself.
Both instincts are understandable, and both are wrong.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
Here’s what happens when you let your resume drift to the wrong altitude:
Too tactical: You look like you’re still in the weeds. A resume crammed with daily tasks or granular project details signals you haven’t yet stepped into enterprise-level leadership. Recruiters may pass you over for candidates who demonstrate broader impact.
Too visionary: You sound like you live in PowerPoint. Vague statements about “driving transformation” or “fostering innovation” without metrics or execution examples make decision-makers wonder if you can actually deliver.
Either way, you’re misrepresenting yourself. You might be perfectly qualified for a VP or C-level role, but the resume doesn’t show it.
Finding the Right Altitude
The fix isn’t complicated, but it requires discipline. The best executive resumes strike a balance: they establish your strategic mandate and back it up with evidence of delivery.
Here’s the formula I recommend:
1. Start with a scope paragraph. At the beginning of each role, summarize your leadership mandate in two to three sentences. Mention the size of your team, the budget or portfolio you managed, and the strategic areas you were responsible for. This sets altitude and context.
Example: “Directed global operations for a $250M business unit with 1,200 employees across four continents. Oversaw P&L, market expansion strategy, and digital transformation initiatives.”
2. Follow with achievement-driven bullets. Use bullet points to show measurable outcomes. Each one should demonstrate how you turned that mandate into results.
Example: “Delivered \$40M revenue growth in two years by realigning go-to-market strategy, restructuring sales teams, and negotiating enterprise partnerships.”
3. Rotate between strategic and operational. Don’t cluster all high-level bullets together and all tactical ones together. Mix them. Show that you can both create vision and drive execution.
Practical Examples
Let’s look at how altitude shows up in writing:
Too Low: “Scheduled weekly meetings with cross-functional team.”
Too High: “Revolutionized corporate strategy to unlock growth.”
Balanced: “Defined and executed a $40M market expansion strategy by aligning cross-functional teams, securing C-level buy-in, and delivering 18% year-over-year revenue growth.”
See the difference? The balanced version still communicates strategy, but it’s anchored in execution and measurable outcomes.
Common Altitude Traps
Executives should also watch out for these common traps:
Task Lists Disguised as Achievements
Bullets that describe responsibilities instead of results (“Oversaw marketing campaigns,” “Managed IT budget”). Swap them out for outcomes (“Increased lead conversion by 27%,” “Cut IT costs by $3.2M while improving system uptime”).
Empty Buzzwords
Terms like “innovative leader,” “results-driven,” and “transformative change” add zero value unless tied to actual metrics. Cut the filler or back it up.
Title Inflation
Overstating your title (“Chief Strategy Officer” when you were a Director of Strategy) creates altitude confusion and risks immediate disqualification. Always align with what’s on record.
Overweighting One Side
Some resumes are 90% strategy, others are 90% tactics. Both are red flags. Executives should demonstrate range.
Food for Thought
If you’re worried your resume might suffer from altitude issues, here’s a quick self-check:
Audit your bullets. Circle any that look like task lists or vague slogans. Rewrite them to balance vision with measurable outcomes.
Check your scope statements. Do they establish executive-level responsibility (budgets, P&L, global oversight), or do they read like department manager job descriptions?
Ask yourself: Could a middle manager claim this bullet? If yes, raise the altitude.
Ask yourself: Could a consultant say this without proof? If yes, lower the altitude with data.
An executive resume must show that you can operate at the right level. Not stuck in the weeds. Not lost in the clouds. The leaders who land interviews are the ones who prove they can set the course and land the plane.
Get the altitude right, and your resume stops being a list of jobs, it becomes evidence that you’re the high-ROI hire who delivers vision and results.
