The Operational Excellence Trap: Why Being Brilliant at Your Job Might Be Holding You Back

Claire was the one who always got it done.

When a process needed fixing, Claire sorted it. When a deadline loomed, Claire stepped up. When senior leaders wanted quick wins, Claire delivered, quietly, efficiently, and flawlessly.

She was respected. Relied on. Trusted.

But Claire wasn’t in the room when the big decisions were made. She wasn’t asked what she thought until after the meeting. She wasn’t seen as a leader. Not really.

And it wasn’t because she wasn’t good enough. It was because she was too good at the wrong things.

That’s what I call the Operational Excellence Trap, and it’s a common challenge facing ambitious women in HR who want to move into senior leadership roles.

What Is the Operational Excellence Trap?

The Operational Excellence Trap happens when your ability to deliver flawlessly becomes the reason you’re overlooked for leadership.

You get known for fixing things, smoothing over issues, holding teams together, but not for setting direction, challenging the norm, or driving change.

It sounds like praise, and it is. But it’s also a form of career limitation.

You become known for doing, not deciding.

You become everyone’s go-to, but never the one setting the agenda.

It’s not a glass ceiling. It’s a glass box. You’re visible, you’re admired, but no one can imagine you outside of the role you already play.

For many women in HR, this invisible barrier to leadership shows up again and again. And it keeps the most capable people out of the rooms where change is shaped.

Why It Happens — Especially in HR Careers

If you’re a woman in HR, you’ve likely been rewarded for being the person who keeps things running.

You’ve probably been

• The calm in the chaos

• The fixer

• The one who absorbs pressure so others can perform

  
  

And while this makes you indispensable, it can also make you invisible when it comes to leadership conversations.

The system tends to reward

• Delivery over direction

• Compliance over challenge

• Quiet efficiency over visible leadership

And when women demonstrate operational excellence, they’re often typecast into supporting roles even when they have the insight and ambition to lead.

What the Operational Excellence Trap Is Costing You (and the Business)

This isn’t just frustrating, it’s expensive. For you and for the organisation.

When high-performing HR women get stuck in delivery mode, the cost includes

• Burnout from over-functioning

• Missed opportunities for leadership development

• Lack of recognition for strategic potential

• Career stagnation

And the business loses out on bold, people-centred thinking that could drive real change.

This is one of the most overlooked leadership gaps in organisations today.

How to Break Free from the Operational Excellence Trap

Here’s the truth. You don’t need to prove yourself more. You don’t need to work harder or wait to be picked.

Breaking free starts by shifting how you’re seen, and that begins with how you show up.

Start by

• Noticing where you over-function by default

• Speaking up even when it feels risky

• Choosing visibility over perfection

• Asking to shape the agenda, not just support it

This is the real work of career progression for women in HR, stepping into leadership on your terms, not someone else’s definition.

If You’re Feeling the Edges of the Box…

Start small. Notice where you're over-delivering, saying yes too quickly, or holding things together by habit. Then ask yourself, "What would shift if I said less, held back, or spoke up differently?"

Sometimes the first step out of the box isn’t action. It’s awareness.