How Some Leaders Keep Getting Bigger Jobs While Others Are Getting Sidelined
The actions may feel obvious, but most leaders still aren't prioritizing them. You can!
I recently read that a former colleague of mine was just promoted to CRO - Chief Revenue Officer - of a major media and technology organization. I was impressed and if I’m honest, a little jealous. Why him? How did he land that role?
It’s OK if you aren’t looking for a bigger job (I’ll write about that soon!), but if you don’t plan on building or buying your own business, and you’re not independently wealthy enough to retire, you need to learn how the best are landing roles.
The work world is changing faster than ever. Between AI, shifts in consumer needs, inflation, and geopolitical and climate changes, there is much to cause upheaval and instability in your career path.
So what do you navigate this challenging terrain?
Let’s dive in!
A Story
Amanda and Kyle both graduated from the same prestigious college. They were friends and traded notes during their job hunt. One went to a consulting firm and the other chose to join a hot technology start-up.
Both were promoted every 1-2 years early in their career, but after about 5 years, they started to diverge. Over time, Amanda got bigger roles and opportunities every 1-3 years.
After 17 years, Amanda was a senior executive at her company and was up for a promotion to a C-level post. She was over the moon. This was what she had been working toward her entire career.
Meanwhile, Kyle seemed to stagnate at a Director level. This wasn’t a case of him not wanting the bigger jobs. He did.
Kyle had always aspired to be a C-level executive and the early feedback he received from managers was similar to Amanda. Kyle was smart, diligent, hard working, and reliable. He didn’t rub people the wrong way and most folks liked to work with him.
Where Amanda started to differentiate herself was in how she left a memorable, positive impression on her colleagues, while Kyle was often forgotten or overlooked. He wasn’t on high-profile projects and he was loyal to a fault. While Amanda had worked at 4 companies when they were 10 years out of school, job hopping to get bigger opportunities, Kyle had worked at 2 companies and had relatively the same scope of work for the last 4 years.
There were several other ways Amanda began to stand out and carved a career path differently than Kyle. This doesn’t include the basics of working hard, showing up prepared, or treating people well. Those are table stakes.
Let’s dive into the 7 ways that Amanda was able to accelerate her career.
1. Seek Growth Sectors (& Companies)
If growing your scope and level matters to you in your career, you need to be on the lookout for where growth is happening. Many people will guide you to become an expert and go deep. It’s fine to become deeply knowledgeable — there is value there. But if you want to find faster, more sustained growth, and always have options in your career path, you seek industries that have the most opportunities. Being flexible about where you work and what you do will give you the most options for growth.
Amanda, for example, hopped on the digital media train early and was able to catapult herself into senior roles quickly. When she saw investment in e-commerce grow, she navigated herself to a medium-sized business that was innovating quickly. More recently she began focusing on AI while simultaneously researching health-related businesses, which was a budding passion.
Even when a business doesn’t work out, when you target a growing sector, there are likely other businesses who are growing.
Being flexible in your choice of sector isn’t a sign that you are unclear or wishy-washy. It demonstrates your ability to be strategic about where you head vs. simply following the path you are already on. It also shows that you can be nimble and adapt to new environments, contexts, and concepts.
ACTION:
So how do you find sectors that are growing? Here are a few quick ways:
Read, watch, and listen to business and investing publications, news outlets, and podcasts
Talk to your network and ask them what they are hearing
Do a quick search online to see what jobs are being posted and by what companies
Call your college career office. Find out what companies and sectors are investing time and money to go onto campuses to recruit
2. People are Everything (Part I): Chose Well
Outside of the sector you choose and how you show up at work, the people at your job are the most important contributors to your growth and success. Your manager is the most important, but senior leadership comes a close second.
Why?
Your manager is your judge, jury, and executioner in terms of your job. They will determine what assignments you receive, whether other leaders hear about your work, and how you are rewarded. They can give you the most relevant and helpful feedback to help you learn and develop. They can also hold you back, restrict your purview, and not elevate you.
Senior leaders have a different impact. They set the culture and tone for the entire organization. Even if you have a great manager, if the senior leaders don’t align on values, you will find that your manager will be limited in how much they can do to create healthy conditions for your growth.
If you want to have many growth opportunities, find a senior leadership team and a CEO in particular who is focused on growth. In addition, when there is a great senior leadership team, the organization as a whole feels bouyant and motivated, even when facing challenges, and you’ll benefit from that energy and the talent it attracts. Even if cost-cutting is happening, there will still be areas of innovation and opportunity to for you to stretch.
ACTION:
So how do you find a great manager?
Look for these attributes:
Excellent at setting a clear vision, goals, and expectations
Hires people who are better than them
They are considered a high performer
Regularly provides feedback that is direct and respectful
Their team is growing and they are promoting folks from within
Has a great reputation amongst their peers and other departments
Talk to their current and former direct reports
Ask them tough questions in your interviews with them for examples of how they have exemplified the above
How do you assess the senior leadership team?
Talk to others in the company and ask them about the culture:
Is it a meritocracy?
How did they handle a major challenge or issue?
What’s the general sentiment at the company? Optimistic? Pessimistic?
Do promotions feel fair?
Read about each leader and see if any are active on social media
3. People are Everything (Part II): Build & Maintain your Network
Once you’ve found a great manager and senior leadership team, chances are they have hired great people around them. Before you go looking for external contacts, look within. Amanda took advantage of this several times in her career shifts.
One instance was a recruiter who left Amanda’s company at the time and when she landed at her new job, immediately called Amanda for a higher-level role that she was assigned to help fill. The recruiter had known of Amanda’s reputation through another colleague and was able to bring her into the search process early.
Another example was the leader of a department that Amanda frequently collaborated with left for a bigger role. He became CEO of that new company and when he was looking for strong talent, he thought of Amanda.
Amanda saw every interaction as a chance to learn something and share something. It didn’t have to be profound and it didn’t even have to be work-related. It might be about where to live or a favorite restaurant. It could be about music or books. Or it could be about career decisions and leadership choices. The topic mattered less than making the connection.
Kyle on the other hand felt overwhelmed and embarrassed by the idea of talking to new people. What could he possibly say to interest them? When would he have the time?
Amanda had these same fears, but the difference was, she didn’t let them stop her from trying to make a connection. Instead, she broke down the conversation elements, took it slowly, and adjusted her approach over time.
One thing to note about Amanda, she was not an extrovert. While she valued human connection, she also needed quiet and alone time. How did she manage to do both? She was rigorous about not over-scheduling her networking time. For example, she would only schedule one to two meetings or external networking events a week. Whenever she returned from a conference, she would not schedule any activities with new connections for the three days following. This would give her time to decompress.
Amanda sets an example that anyone can make the time to expand their network and not become overwhelmed.
ACTION:
When you are on the job, you should remember that every interaction is an opportunity to:
Develop a relationship by understanding the other person’s role and responsibilities and what matters to them
Get to know someone more deeply
Make an impact by offering support
So when you work with others in your organization, pick one of the above actions and try it out. These actions will also translate well to external networking. You will be building networking muscles that will benefit you long-term.
After you leave your role, take a minute to reach out every 6-12 months to the people who made an impression on you and who have similar ambitions or values.
Aim to have these calls be about catching up
Offer your support. Most of the time, people won’t take you up on it, but they will remember you offered it
Don’t be hesitant to ask questions and for help. One of the best ways to strengthen relationships is asking for support
4. Always Know Your Why
Amanda’s goals shifted a bit as she went through her career. About 5 years out of college, she had a health scare and while growing in her role still mattered, it took a back seat to her health needs. When she was healthier again, she returned to her more ambitious career goals and more intense work schedule. It was what energized her and she now had the capacity to do it again.
Don’t be afraid to shift your priorities as long as you know your why. Your why’s will change over time:
Wanting to learn a new skill
Transitioning to a new industry or function
Increased financial goals and growth
Family and caregiving obligations
All of the above are valid and the only person who knows what’s most important is you.
ACTION:
Periodically (every 3-6 months) give yourself time to step away from your day-to-day routines to check in on your why and whether your current path is aligned with your why.
Use these questions to guide your reflection and your action plan:
What feels most important to me right now?
Am I spending my time in a way that brings me closer to what is most important?
What could I change to bring me closer to what is most important?
Who can help me shift toward what is most important?
What’s one step I can take in the next day, week, or month to bring me closer to what is most important?
5. Communicate Your Value Again, Again, and Again
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Practice & Play to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.