Top tips to help you secure the promotion you deserve. 

Getting promoted in 2025 isn’t about clocking in long hours or simply being the most experienced person in the room. It’s about proving that you can lead — that you can inspire people, align with strategy, and consistently deliver results through a high-performing team.

The modern workplace is fast-paced and constantly evolving. Companies are looking for individuals who can manage complexity, bring people together, and drive innovation while keeping morale high. In short: promotions are earned by leaders who can demonstrate impact beyond themselves.

This blog explores how you can secure the promotion you deserve by focusing on leadership behaviours, team performance, and strategic alignment.

Why Leadership is the Key to Promotion in 2025

In the past, promotions were often based on tenure or individual performance. But in today’s workplace, promotions hinge on your ability to lead others successfully. Senior roles demand influence, collaboration, and the ability to scale results through teams.

Key drivers of promotions in 2025 include:

• Alignment with organisational goals – demonstrating you understand the bigger picture and can connect your team’s efforts to it.

• Building high-performing teams – showing you can inspire, develop, and retain talent.

• Delivering measurable results – turning strategy into outcomes and using data to back up your impact.

Leaders who can combine these elements become indispensable to their organisation.

Step 1: Align Your Goals With the Organisation’s Strategy

One of the fastest ways to stand out for promotion is to show you can translate company strategy into team action. Organisations want leaders who can bridge the gap between high-level objectives and day-to-day delivery.

Practical ways to do this:

• Review your company’s strategic goals regularly and cascade them into clear objectives for your team.

• Use team meetings to connect tasks back to the bigger mission.

• Share progress updates that highlight how your team contributes to success.

When your manager sees you as someone who “gets it” strategically, you’ll be seen as ready for bigger responsibilities.

Step 2: Build and Lead a High-Performing Team

Promotions aren’t just about what you do but about what you enable others to do. Senior leaders look for managers who can consistently unlock the potential of their teams.

How to build a high-performing team:

• Clarity: Ensure every team member knows their role, responsibilities, and success measures.

• Feedback: Give regular, constructive feedback and recognise achievements.

• Psychological safety: Create an environment where people feel safe to speak up, challenge ideas, and innovate.

• Collaboration: Encourage cross-functional teamwork to drive better solutions.

A leader who consistently improves team performance stands out as someone who can scale results across the organisation.

Step 3: Demonstrate Leadership Behaviours Early

You don’t need a promotion to start acting like a leader. In fact, the quickest way to get promoted is to behave as though you already are in a leadership role.

Examples of leadership behaviours you can adopt now:

• Volunteering to lead cross-departmental projects.

• Identifying problems and proposing solutions instead of waiting for direction.

• Mentoring junior colleagues or peers to support their growth.

• Bringing energy and positivity to challenging situations.

Leadership is about influence and impact, not job titles. The more you consistently show these behaviours, the more natural it becomes for decision-makers to see you in a senior role.

Step 4: Quantify Your Team’s Impact

Data speaks volumes. If you want to make a compelling case for promotion, you need to prove your leadership impact with numbers.

Ways to quantify your results:

• Measure productivity improvements and cost savings.

• Track engagement and retention rates in your team.

• Showcase successful project delivery against deadlines and budgets.

• Use before-and-after comparisons to highlight improvements under your leadership.

For example:

• “Since implementing new processes, our team reduced turnaround time by 25%.”

• “Employee engagement scores rose by 15 points in the last survey.”

When you can tie your leadership directly to tangible outcomes, you build a persuasive case for advancement.

Step 5: Expand Your Network and Find Mentors

Promotions don’t happen in a vacuum. Visibility matters. Building a strong network inside and outside your organisation raises your profile and opens up opportunities.

Networking strategies to try:

• Attend company-wide events or industry conferences to build connections.

• Join professional associations or groups relevant to your role.

• Seek out mentors who can give you honest feedback and advocate for you.

Mentors, in particular, can be career accelerators. They provide guidance, challenge your thinking, and help you avoid mistakes. A strong network also demonstrates your ability to build relationships — a key skill for senior leadership roles.

Step 6: Seek and Act on Feedback

Great leaders are open to feedback and use it as fuel for growth. By actively seeking feedback, you show humility, adaptability, and commitment to improvement.

How to leverage feedback:

• Ask for regular feedback from managers, peers, and your team.

• Take notes, reflect, and create an action plan.

• Follow up by showing how you’ve implemented changes.

This not only strengthens your skills but also demonstrates to your organisation that you take ownership of your development.

Step 7: Prepare for Promotion Discussions

When it’s time to talk about promotion, preparation is critical. Don’t just say you want a promotion, you need to prove you’re already operating at the next level.

Tips for effective promotion conversations:

• Present a portfolio of achievements with supporting metrics.

• Highlight how you’ve developed your team, not just yourself.

• Show how your work aligns with organisational strategy.

• Communicate your vision for how you’d scale your impact in a bigger role.

This shifts the conversation from “why you deserve a promotion” to “why the organisation needs you in a bigger role.”

Step 8: Stay Adaptable and Future-Ready

The leaders who get promoted in 2025 are those who embrace change, not resist it. Technology, hybrid work, and market pressures are all shaping the workplace. To stand out, adopt a future-ready mindset.

Practical ways to stay future-ready:

• Invest in digital skills and AI literacy.

• Stay informed about industry trends and competitor strategies.

• Encourage innovation and agility within your team.

Adaptable leaders are invaluable because they help organisations navigate uncertainty with confidence.

In summary: 

Securing a promotion in 2025 isn’t about waiting for your turn. It’s about stepping up, showing leadership, and building high-performing teams that deliver results.

By aligning your goals with company strategy, empowering your people, quantifying your impact, and staying adaptable, you position yourself as a leader who’s already operating at the next level.

When you consistently demonstrate these behaviours, you won’t have to chase promotion, you’ll be the obvious choice.