How to Become the Person Leaders Want to Promote

“I Didn’t Get the Promotion I Deserved.” A person confessed to me that they were disappointed and heartbroken because they lost out on the promotion they thought they earned. This story surfaced a gap that needed attention. As we examined their journey, they realized that they had plenty of handholding during their early years that disappeared entirely once they reached mid-career. Left to figure things out on their own, they hit a stage where they weren’t sure what growth looked like anymore. This kind of plateau is incredibly common, and it creates the exact challenge many employees face when they try to step into leadership roles without understanding the signals that matter.

They Stopped Holding Your Hand. Now Hold the Rope.

In early career, structure is given. In mid-career, you must build your own visibility and growth system to get ahead in your career. Hard work alone won’t get you there. Promotions rarely hinge on one moment. They build slowly through habits and choices that leaders notice long before the conversation ever happens. While politics, budget cuts or bad leadership can influence promotions, here are some behaviors you can control that can help you rise in ways that signal readiness.

• Stretch into responsibilities that sit slightly above your role. Leaders pay attention to people who expand their scope naturally. You do not need to overhaul your job description. You only need to take on work that shows you understand the bigger picture, which helps leaders trust you with more complex assignments.
• Build a track record that holds steady across different seasons. Consistency is the quiet currency of career growth. When your performance stays strong across multiple projects that require different skills, you signal that you can handle the unpredictability that comes with senior roles.
• Move toward problems instead of waiting for direction. Ownership is magnetic. When something breaks, stalls, or confuses the team, step in with curiosity and initiative. Leaders notice the people who treat challenges like opportunities to contribute rather than inconveniences to avoid.
• Strengthen your influence with peers. Influence is not granted by a title. It grows through reliability and the way you support others. When teammates seek your input because they trust your judgment, you demonstrate readiness for roles that require guiding others.
• Understand the role you want and confirm it is real. Before aiming for a promotion, learn what the next role actually requires. A well‑defined role with real scope, resources, and authority sets you up for success, which prevents frustration and misalignment later.

Career growth becomes much easier when you focus on the behaviors that leaders consistently rely on. These habits help you stand out for the right reasons, which positions you for opportunities that match your strengths, whether at your current organization or the next one. The path to promotion is built on signals that are achievable, repeatable, and available to anyone willing to follow them.

Adeline (Addy) Maissonet is a senior advisor on contracting policies and procedures within the Office of the Secretary of War, U.S. Department of War (DoW) and the agency’s representative on the Department’s views on proposed legislation to Congressional members, their staff, and committee staffers. She leads the development and implementation of Department-wide procurement policies for commodities and services, within her portfolio. Prior to her current role, Addy served as a Division Chief and Contracting Officer with unlimited warrant authority for the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) – Fort Eustis, Virginia. Prior to joining the MICC, Addy served as a Branch Head for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), Norfolk, Virginia, with unlimited warrant authority. She also held other procurement positions with the U.S. Navy. Addy holds an MBA in Management and Contracting Level III Certification under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act. She is a graduate from Cornell University’s Executive Leadership Certificate Program and Harvard University’s Business Analytics Certificate Program. In her free time, Addy enjoys hiking and overlanding with her family and friends.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of War.

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