Most people believe promotions work like this - I do great work; I get recognised for it; I get promoted.

That story is comforting because it seems extremely logical. It’s also plain wrong.

Doing your job well is the entry ticket. It's what is expected, not the differentiator.

At senior levels, promotions don’t go to the best executors. They go to the people that decision-makers can already see operating at the next level.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth - Performance gets you trusted. Perception gets you promoted.

And perception is built long before a role opens up.

This is where many high performers get stuck - because the next step isn’t about working harder. It’s about managing up.

And yes, that makes people uncomfortable. Managing up feels political. It feels self-promotional. It can feel like you’re overstepping. As a result many capable leaders avoid it only to then wonder why others move ahead.

But managing up isn’t about flattery or visibility for its own sake. It’s about helping your leader succeed.

What actually drives promotion decisions:

• Whether leaders already see you as a peer, not just a direct report

• Whether you bring judgment, not just execution

• Whether you solve problems before they land on your leader’s desk

• Whether you understand the pressures above you

• Whether someone is willing to back you

Effective managing up looks like this:

• Anticipating, not reacting, to what your leader will care about next

• Framing issues in terms of risk, trade-offs, and impact - not tasks to be done

• Bringing options, not just problems

• Communicating in headlines, not detail dumps

• Making your leader look good, even when they’re not in the room

This is why so many high performers feel blindsided. They’re told:

“Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

What that often really means is:

“You’re doing great exactly where you are.”

Promotions aren’t rewards for effort. They’re risk decisions. And the risk leaders are trying to avoid isn’t whether you can do the job. It’s whether you can operate at altitude, influence laterally, and carry consequence.

If you want to progress, ask yourself harder questions than simply “am I performing?” Ask instead:

• Do I understand what success looks like for my leader?

• Am I trusted to simplify complexity?

• Am I visible for judgment, not just delivery?

• Who would advocate for me if a role opened tomorrow?

Because if the answer is “no one,” performance alone won’t save you.

The biggest career mistake high performers make is believing effort will eventually speak for itself. It doesn’t.

Managing up is a skill - and like all skills, it has to be learned.

At Growth Getters, I work with strong performers who are ready to step into bigger roles - helping them build executive judgment, manage up effectively, and get seen at the level they’re already capable of operating.

If this resonates, let’s talk. You can reach me at dan@growthgetters.com.au