How to finally get promoted as a leader
How to finally get promoted as a leader
Five pieces of advice to help you get your long-awaited promotion
There is unfortunately no algorithm or “checklist” that will help you accelerate the development of your career. However, no matter the market we are operating in, there are five areas to consider and a couple of simple things to do to help you gain some speed—the right speed—in your career.
1. Be realistic
You are not always in the right place at the right time. It sometimes happens that, due to an unfavorable combination of variables, you become stuck in your position for years. It can also happen that the only way to get promoted is to overtake the position of the boss, and if he or she does not intend on leaving, you should just give it up. Calculate your losses and change the organization. Don’t be foolish; don’t fall for empty promises.
A big part of success is choosing a game where you can gain points and win. If your current boss or company does not assist you in reaching success, switch to one that does. Go where you will be appreciated. Otherwise, you will reach a level of frustration that will become unbearable. Do something about it.
Okay, if you are in better luck and are a part of an organization that lets you grow and provides you with an interesting promotion scheme, carry on.
2. First, solve the boss’s problems
Solve the problems of your boss. This seems obvious, but are you already working on making your boss’s life easier? I can hardly wait to see the comments :)
Place yourself in your boss’s shoes sometimes and think about whether, being in his position, you would spend time on yourself. If you were in his shoes, would you invest in you as a person?
For your boss to want to talk to you about ideas for projects you could work on together, for him to want to talk to you about your career and help you grow, he first needs the time for it and secondly needs to have a lot of trust in you. Your boss will not be very interested in the strategic vision of your career if he has more pressing issues on his mind.
For your boss to tackle any “esoteric” problems, he first needs to solve the urgent ones. To have the opportunity to work on fun projects, you first need to gain your boss’s and his closest colleagues’ trust; he will probably discuss the idea of promoting you with the people he considers the most trustworthy.
3. Think strategically
“Developing a career requires the right strategy, which in turn requires strategic, long-term thinking.”
Developing a career requires the right strategy, which in turn requires strategic, long-term thinking. None of us know exactly what kind of job we will have in 5, 10, or 20 years. Just think how recently Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook were invented and how many jobs they have created around themselves. What can I tell you? You should gain abilities that will help you react to the needs of the market that are not only connected to your promotion but also to your next workplace and even potential changes in your career. Convert your time at your current job into training for your next one, especially if you feel stuck.
In other words, each day you should create future opportunities for yourself. Most of us will be working for at least a couple of decades. It is thus a good idea to take care of your opportunities for changing careers. Besides, a promotion is often given at the moment when your boss begins to understand that you may leave the company. In those moments, you often learn that you are worth much more.
Go in the opposite direction and invest in yourself. Warren Buffet says that investing in yourself is the best kind of investment. Moreover, when the time comes to compete for the next position, having characteristic abilities will make you stand out. Don’t be afraid to take an unconventional side path. You will stand out and gain better opportunities.
4. Gather feedback
Criticism can be hurtful, even the constructive type. However, to grow, you need to gather feedback. It is best to get it from your boss, as he has the power to give you a promotion. Ask your boss what you should do to get one. Ask him for advice and to show you the right direction to grow in.
Good feedback will help you understand your situation better. And if you don’t end up getting a promotion, you can always say, “I’ve done all you wanted from me.” It will surely not be a nice conversation for either you or your manager, but sometimes it is the only way to make it known that you have not gotten promoted for five years.
Don’t forget your colleagues, but be more careful with them. Not every one of them wants you to get promoted. And not all of them are as friendly as you think. You will probably be surprised when you learn who is talking behind your back with the boss. You should not become paranoid, though. Ask your experienced colleagues for advice. After a presentation, negotiations, and meetings, ask, “What worked well?” and “What could have worked better?” Those are two extremely simple questions. But the answers might surprise you with a whole range of information that you will only gain by correctly asking for it and demonstrating your intent to grow.
5. Finally, ask for the promotion
There is this old joke in which a man is praying to God: “God, dear God, make me win the lottery, please. I have been praying for so long; I do not sin; make me win.” Finally, God answers, “Fine, but give me the chance and buy a ticket.”
People are often unnecessarily irritated by not getting things they have not even asked for.
If you want a promotion, ask for one.
Here I am especially addressing the ladies: don’t wait for the decision too long. Dear ladies, statistically, you wait much longer than men before starting the promotion conversation. Why is that? Do you consider yourself less competent than your male colleagues?
To create a good organizational culture that promotes growth, an employee who is ready to be promoted should be encouraged to ask for it by his colleagues and his boss. In the area of building an environment that can give the employees enough comfort to make such a decision, the managers play a key role.
No matter if the decision-making concerning promotions in your company is tied individually to the boss or whether the decision has to come from another collective body, remember to first of all tell everyone that you are looking for a promotion in the first place.
Good luck! I wish you all the best.
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