Coaching Real Leaders Coaching Real Leaders

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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