How Do I Ensure I Get Promoted?
Oct 12, 2026 · 50m
Summary
Executive coach Muriel Wilkins guides Amy, a newly appointed manager, through the frustration of feeling stuck after an unexpected lateral reorg. Amy struggles with a lack of mentorship, a team member who challenges her authority, and a deep desire for guaranteed career advancement. Wilkins helps Amy reframe her focus from seeking external validation to taking control of her leadership actions, such as explicitly setting team expectations and measuring performance against business goals. The session concludes with Amy recognizing that while she cannot guarantee promotion, she can choose to …
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Capital One Venture X Card
Introduction to Coaching Real Leaders and Muriel Wilkins
Amy's background and the unexpected reorg
Challenges with new team dynamics and mentorship
Feeling stuck and the lack of clear feedback
The gap between praise and actionable support
Unmet expectations from a previous promotion attempt
Internal conflict: control vs. waiting for others
The illusion of guaranteed promotions
Work-life balance and the cost of climbing the ladder
Defining what is within Amy's control
Sponsors: Ramp, Quo, and Shopify
Reframing career management without guarantees
The roadblock metaphor: options for moving forward
Identifying controllable actions vs. external outcomes
Mentoring yourself: building relationships and visibility
The need to make expectations explicit to others
Managing team performance vs. personal standards
Using data and goals to measure team success
Sponsors: NetSuite and Superhuman Go
Leadership blind spots: high standards vs. team reality
Defining success: camaraderie and continuous learning
The decision to stay, grow, or leave
Action plan: communicating expectations and self-reflection
Closing thoughts and show credits
Sponsor: Capital One Venture X Card
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