Season 7 E7 Do You See What I See? Why You’re Probably Underestimating How Organizations Really Work

Have you ever questioned a promotion, a leadership decision, or wondered why an idea never gained traction? The answer isn't always about the people involved. Sometimes it's about understanding the system they're navigating. In this episode of The Climb Podcast, Felicia Smith shares one of the most important leadership lessons she's learned: the higher you climb, the less leadership is about managing your work and the more it's about understanding how the organization works. If you're ready to think like an executive—not just perform like a high achiever—this episode is for you. What You'll Learn Why organizations have two versions: the org chart and reality How executives evaluate decisions differently The five things leaders consistently see that others often miss Why understanding relationships, history, and competing priorities matters A framework for developing an executive lens Chapters 00:00 – Welcome to The Climb Podcast 01:05 – Why organizations don't always make sense 03:20 – Somebody Should Have Told Me: There are two organizations 10:45 – Truth Is: How executives really see organizations 20:15 – The Executive Lens Framework 29:15 – Weekly Reflection 31:10 – Final Thoughts Connect with The Climb 🌐 Website: https://www.the-climb.org 🎙️ Subscribe for new episodes every week featuring practical leadership conversations designed for women of color pursuing leadership and management roles. If this episode helped you see your organization differently, share it with someone who's ready to stop asking, "Why would they do that?" and start asking better leadership questions. Because we're not just climbing careers. We're building ladders