There are three ways to move up in an organization more quickly. You may take advantage of one of them or a combination of all three depending on what support you need.
The first is to take advantage of what your manager has to offer. For those who are working for a strong leader who develops their people, you will learn a lot and gain opportunities based on that relationship with them. They will support your growth and advocate for opportunities to get you exposure. Great leaders know that their role is to create more great leaders. However, if you are working for someone who isn’t as strong, then you have a few options. You will need to find ways to develop yourself (training, leading a volunteer group, get a coach, etc), rely on your network in the organization to help you, move under a stronger leader if possible or leverage one of the below options to stand out.
Identify a mentoring program that you can be a part of either in your company or these may also be offered in affinity or employee resource groups. More formalized programs can bring a lot of rewards to a company and the mentors/mentees. Today over 71% of Fortune 500 companies are offering mentoring programs to employees. It is viewed as a way to increase employee engagement, retention, provide leadership opportunities, and help those who participate to increase salary and get promoted. The structure of being in a program like this is a great foundation, but the success of mentoring depends on the level of responsibility both the mentor and mentee come with to make it work.
The third way is to find a leadership sponsor. Although the sponsorship relationship is not created through a formalized program. It is based on conversations. Is this person someone who can open doors for you and connect you to the people who can get you visible opportunities to stand out? Are you willing to ask for their help and can you trust them? Their support of you in the organization in will boost your credibility and potential to others. They are taking a risk to advocate for you because they believe in your potential. Prove them right by being ready for the opportunity and show them your best work.
The good news is that there are options to choose from to advance your career success. Working for someone who isn’t as strong does not mean that you can’t advance yourself. Get creative and find other ways to develop your skills. The question is are you willing to step outside of your comfort zone to take advantage of these opportunities?