A lot of highly capable people stay in roles they’ve quietly outgrown because they’re hoping someone will eventually notice their potential.
When we talk about it, they have what feel like good reasons for them such as:
- ‘I’m worried I’ll look arrogant.’
- ‘I don’t want to put myself forward and not get it.’
- ‘Perhaps I’m not ready. Wouldn’t I have been encouraged to apply if I was?’
If any of that feels uncomfortably familiar, you’re not alone.
If you want to progress, take matters into your own hands and give yourself the best chance.
Three things you can do:
- Name what you actually want and say it out loud, even if it feels uncomfortable.
E.g. I want to be promoted to X.
There’s something powerful about hearing yourself say this out loud. - Gather evidence, and don’t wait for ‘perfection’.
You don’t need to meet every single criterion for the next level or role but you do need to show impact, initiative, leadership behaviours, and outcomes.
When you start collecting the evidence of your own capability, confidence grows because you can see the data rather than rely on your limiting assumptions in your head. - Tell key people your intention
Who are the people that can make the decisions about your next step? Who are the key stakeholders in you? Remember that they need good people to fill their talent pipelines.. make it easier for them to see you on their plan by telling them what your career aims are.
E.g. I’m aiming for the next step in my career. I’d value your perspective on what would make me a strong candidate and what else I can do to put myself in the best position to be considered.
This is helping you to be seen and giving others clarity on what you are looking for.
Stepping towards a new role in your career can be achieved through a series of small, intentional choices that quietly shift how others see you — and how you see yourself.
Plenty of capable women are already doing this. They’re naming what they want, gathering the evidence of their impact, and letting the right people know they’re ready for more. Not perfectly. Not confidently every day. Just consistently enough that their ambition becomes visible.
This puts them in a stronger position long before the opportunity appears.
The same steps are available to you — today, exactly as you are. One clear intention, one honest conversation, one piece of evidence collected. That’s how momentum starts.
What’s the first step you could take today?
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