Harvard Business Review: "Why Am I Not Getting Promoted? "

HBR Staff/Paper Boat Creative/Getty Images I’ve heard the question a million times - and even wondered it myself occasionally: “Why aren’t I getting promoted?” I’ve heard it from VPs, lawyers, corporate middle managers - everyone. And I hear the follow up questions, too: 

• How do I deal with the anxiety around promotions?

• What should I do to gain more constructive feedback on what I can do to improve myself for a promotion?

• How do I know if I should be more patient about a promotion, or move on?

  
  

Here’s how I answered those questions for the Harvard Business Review in “Why Aren’t I Getting Promoted?”

How to manage your anxiety around promotions

Anxiety eases when you focus on what lies within your control. You can’t control whether a position exists or your manager’s authority, but you can control how you respond. Prioritize self-care: sleep well, exercise, eat nutritious food, and spend time doing activities you enjoy. This helps you remember your career is significant but only part of your identity.

How to gain constructive feedback

Performance feedback lies within your control and can reduce anxiety. Promotion readiness is typically measured in five areas:

• Self-awareness: ability to reflect on strengths and weaknesses.

• External awareness: impact on others and strength of relationships.

• Strategic thinking: grasp of business context and priorities.

• Executive presence: credibility, communication, and influence.

• Thought leadership: expertise and how it is shared.

  
  

Seek feedback in these areas not only from your boss but also from peers, teammates, stakeholders, and mentors. Share your career goals, ask specific questions (“What could I have done better on project X?”), and listen without defensiveness. Direct reports can also provide valuable input. Look for evidence to validate feedback and notice patterns across multiple sources.

In addition, understand how your company values your job and what the career hierarchy looks like. Meet with HR or your manager to learn the structure and ask if roles at the next level have opened in recent years. Sometimes lack of promotion has nothing to do with you but with budgets, headcount, or organizational limits. Your manager’s comments (“It’s not up to me,” “We don’t have a position yet”) reflect this reality.

When to be patient and when to move on

Evaluate what you’ve learned about the career path for your role. Based on discussions with HR and your manager, does the company intend to open higher-level roles soon? If not, you may explore lateral moves or advocate for a new role. Consider realistic timelines: some companies require minimum years of service.

If the timeline is short, patience may pay off.

If opportunities are scarce, it may be time to move on. Balance your professional, personal, and financial goals. If compensation or benefits are excellent, staying may make sense; if learning and growth have stalled, leaving could be wiser. Either way, plan intentionally: research, network, and build skills before resigning.

Promotion conversations are tricky, but by broadening your perspective and focusing on what you can control, you can chart a career path that best serves you.

Read the whole article here and take my Promotability Index® self-assessment here!