Staying in a role that no longer challenges you can cause stagnation and lead to becoming stuck in a rut. If you do not be intentional about doing something about it, you may find that you start to lose your leadership edge.
Have you become stagnated and lost the enthusiasm you once had, and recognise that you will not grow personally if you stay as you are? If you stay as you are, what will it be like a year or two down the line?
Not only will you further stagnate, but that lack of enthusiasm will be reflected in your work and be noticed by the people you lead and those you report to.
If you know you are capable of much more, being intentional, taking control, and taking focused action, will help to put that spark back in your step and get you that promotion you deserve.
Where do you want to be and why?
Now is a good time to re-evaluate where you want to be and why. What are your long-term desires, not just for your career but for your whole life? How far do you want to go in your leadership career, and why is that important to you? Connecting with your ‘why’ will help to keep you motivated and make what you do feel meaningful.
Create a vision for your long-term career, getting as clear a picture as possible in your mind of what you want it to look like. Do not worry if you cannot imagine what the specifics will be but think about the type of role you want to be doing, the kind of organisation you want to work in, and the type of people you want to be working with. Also, visualise the kind of leader you want to be at that level.
If you are thinking of moving on to move up, what values does an organisation need to have to align with your values and who you are?
Identify the gap between where you are now and where you want to be
Having got clear on your vision, look at the requirements of the role you want. What is the gap between where you are now and where you want to be?
Are there skills that you need to develop, or experience that you need to gain? Or do you need to undergo specific training? What are the behaviours that are required? Do you model those behaviours?
Examine what good looks like. Who do you know at the level that you aspire to who is great at what they do? It is not that you are going to copy them, but there is a lot that you can learn. What is it that makes them so good at the role? What can you learn from them, whilst not becoming a clone of them, but still being true to your authentic self?
Tap into your network
Studies have shown that being in an open network is the biggest predictor of career success. I see many introverted leaders who do not utilise networking and their networks. How open is your network and how well do you tap into it?
Both offline and online, networking is great for making connections that can make introductions that open doors of opportunity. And do not just think about formal, organised networking events. Get talking to the people you meet at the gym, at the hairdressers, or other social occasions. You never know who you might meet, or who they may know.
Think about your existing network, colleagues you have worked with in the past, friends and family who may have connections at the organisations that you want to work in.
Use LinkedIn, to find people who work at the companies you are interested in working for. If any of your connections work there or have worked there previously, that is great. Reach out to them and ask to have a chat so that you can find out more about what the organisation is like to work for. You never know, they may be able to make introductions and open up doors of opportunity for you.
Strategically position yourself through self-promotion
Self-promotion does not come naturally to many people, particularly introverts who may prefer to remain in the background and let their work speak for itself. However, research suggests that extraverts get more opportunities at work because their performance is more visible. How will people know how brilliant you are at what you do if they are not even aware of who you are?
Whilst your immediate line manager will be aware of your achievements, those who are more senior might not be. Get under the radar of those at the most senior level so that your potential to lead at the next level is seen.
If you are looking to move to a different organisation, make sure that your LinkedIn profile is up to date and showcases your key achievements. Demonstrate thought leadership, credibility, and expertise in the conversations that you have and the information you post on LinkedIn. Put yourself forward to speak at conferences and seminars about your area of expertise.
Get sponsors
Find sponsors, those senior people of influence who will champion your cause when it comes to upcoming opportunities and make introductions. A sponsor will advocate for you, helping you to raise your profile and visibility amongst decision makers. A sponsor will help to open doors for you.
A sponsor can be someone within your organisation, or someone external. It needs to be someone who is senior enough and influential enough. Someone whose opinions are going to be valued.
For someone to sponsor you, they will need to see that you deliver. If they are putting you forward for opportunities and recommending you, their reputation is on the line.
Remember, it is not just about what you can get from a sponsor, it is also about what you can do to support them.
These are just a few of the things that you can do to position yourself for your next promotion. Give yourself the best possible chance, so prepare for it and plan for it.
What can you do to position yourself for your next promotion? Or if you have done something different, let me know in the comments below.
First published on LinkedIn.
If you are an introverted woman and a senior leader and want to increase your confidence, influence and impact, take my free assessment and get a report identifying areas to develop. You can take the assessment here.