Six Habits Of Highly Promotable People

By: Kim Carpenter

Are you working really hard, but you can’t seem to get that promotion or raise that you deserve? You might be in what I call a career eddy.

For those of you who love being on the river like I do, you’ll know that an eddy is an area of swirling water that forms behind an obstacle such as a boulder. Often the water in the eddy will reverse direction and it will actually flow upstream just behind the boulder. When a kayak or swimmer gets stuck in an eddy, it can be hard work to get out, just like it can be challenging to get out of a situation where your career growth is stalled.

The best way to get out of this situation is to learn new skills and habits to traverse your path to promotion.

Through my work with hundreds of business leaders, I’ve discovered six habits of highly promotable people. These are not the obvious things like getting along with teammates, knowing what your boss values, or being able to think strategically. These are the often-missed but crucial practices that boldly move you forward while others stay stuck.

Together, they spell B.O.L.D.E.R., and they are the key to maneuvering out of the career eddy and ensuring you never stall out again.

[Related: 7 Myths About Career Transitions That Are Keeping You Stuck]

1) B – Believe in your value.

Promotion-ready people know that what they have to offer is important and valuable to those around them and the organization at large. People who project confidence get promoted over those who may be more qualified, but who do not speak, act, and lead with confidence.

Being confident doesn’t mean that you have to brag about yourself, but it is important for you to be able to share specific examples and tell stories about your contributions to the company and your team.

2) O – Own your achievements.

Another habit of people who rise to leadership positions is that they consciously keep track of what they are accomplishing. One way to do this is to create a running achievement list and build the case for your promotion and raise. Keep the list in a place where you’ll look at it weekly, and at minimum monthly.

Go back through your calendar to remind yourself of what has happened, what you’ve accomplished, what your team has accomplished under your leadership, and what strides you’ve made. Be specific and document the facts, measurable outcomes, and kudos, thanks, or recognition that others communicate to you.

3) L – Leverage your relationships.

The easiest way to build your career is by building authentic relationships with those that you work with and others in your field (in case you end up switching companies). You want to be sure to do what’s natural and authentic to create connections, especially with those in leadership positions above yours.

Take a risk to reach out, network with others, and even create events or opportunities to connect. For example, you might want to host a networking event (or Zoom call) at your place of work to get to know your colleagues and leaders.

[Related: Dealing with the COVID-19 Slump]

4) D – Delegate and develop others.

In order to get to the next level of leadership, you need to let go of doing everything yourself and learn to delegate, follow up, and empower others to take on the work and report back to you.

You likely used to source your value to the organization by how much you were able to accomplish by yourself or with your team. What’s needed now is the capacity to develop others to do your job and demonstrate that you are capable of performing at the level of your boss or manager.

5) E – Express and elevate your voice.

Many of my new clients share a similar story about speaking up in a meeting where no one reacts, and then someone else brings up the exact same point later in the conversation and people rave about it. This is not about what you are saying, but the energy with which you are expressing your message.

If you want to be seen as a leader, you’ll need to express yourself, speak up, elevate your volume if needed, and deliver your message confidently. Expect to be noticed and don’t hide out, especially in meetings.

6) R – Receive compliments.

This one may be surprising to you, but an important habit of those who move into higher levels of leadership is that they can take a compliment.

Start practicing this now and see how it changes your state of mind. Instead of deflecting accolades and acknowledgment, graciously say “thank you” and “you’re welcome.”

Only you can decide what you want your career trajectory to be, but the timing might be right for your next promotion. In an Ellevate Network Impact Survey, 75% of women who asked for a raise, got one. With authentic connections and advocates in leadership, plus the ability to own and speak about your accomplishments, you have an opportunity to distinguish yourself from others.

Find the courage, believe in yourself, and keep speaking up. At the end of the day, the leadership coaching I do is about you recognizing the full potential of what’s already inside of you. When you see the truth of who you are and say “yes” to making a bigger contribution as a leader, then a promotion is simply the next logical step.

[Related: Tired of Feeling Tired at Work? Three Practical Tips to Power Up.]

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Does this resonate with you? Grab your free infographic of the 6 Habits of Highly Promotable People here. Post it somewhere that you can see it daily. And wherever you are in the river of your career journey, don’t stop rowing.

Kim Carpenter is the CEO of People At The Center, a boutique executive coaching and organizational development consultancy. Kim works with executives and entrepreneurs around the globe to help them become better leaders, communicators and change agents. Follow Kim on her website, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Take the free Path To Promotion Assessment and find out where you are on track and what might be holding you back from getting that promotion – in just 5 minutes.