9 Behaviours That Quietly Signal You're Ready for Promotion 🚀

Back in my Xbox days at Microsoft, I worked with a programme manager named Jennie. She wasn't the loudest person in the room, didn't work the most visible projects, and certainly didn't make a song and dance about her contributions. Yet within 18 months, she'd moved up two levels whilst others who'd been shouting about their achievements were still stuck in place.

Her secret? She demonstrated behaviours that screamed "leadership material" to anyone paying attention. The problem is, most people aren't consciously aware of what these behaviours actually are.

Jennie didn't know she was doing it. But her manager certainly did.

Waiting for your manager to notice your brilliant work is like waiting for a bus in the British rain without checking the timetable. Promotions don't happen because you've done your job well. They happen because you've demonstrated you're already operating at the next level.

So let's fix that. Here are the nine behaviours that quietly signal you're ready for promotion - and how to use them to build a case your manager can't ignore.

1. The Problem Solver: You See Around Corners

Problem solvers don't wait for fires to start before reaching for the extinguisher. They spot the discarded cigarette smouldering in the bin.

This isn't about being a hero or working longer hours. It's about pattern recognition. When you fix issues before they become problems, you're demonstrating the forward-thinking judgement that defines senior leadership. Your manager trusts your decisions on tough calls because you've built a track record of being right more often than not.

Evidence to collect: Document the problems you've prevented. Keep a running list of situations where your early intervention saved time, money, or reputation.

2. The Question Asker: Your Curiosity Drives Innovation

The best leaders I've worked with - from Xbox executives to Virgin senior management - never stopped asking "what if" and "how might we."

These aren't idle questions. They're the engine of innovation. When you regularly challenge assumptions and explore possibilities, you're demonstrating the intellectual curiosity that drives organisations forward.

At Kaspersky Lab, I watched a junior analyst transform into a respected strategist simply by asking better questions. She didn't have all the answers, but her questions consistently uncovered blind spots the rest of us had missed.

Evidence to collect: Track the questions you've asked that led to better solutions. This shows you're not just executing - you're thinking.

3. The Bridge Builder: You're the Human Connector

People from different teams come to you for help. Not because you're everyone's boss, but because you understand how different parts of the organisation fit together.

This is gold dust for senior leadership. As you move up, your job becomes less about doing the work and more about connecting the dots. If you're already doing this informally, you're demonstrating readiness for formal responsibility.

I built my career on being a bridge builder. At Microsoft, I connected marketing with sales. At Virgin, I linked corporate communications with front-line operations. It's not always comfortable, but it's essential.

Evidence to collect: Map your network of informal influence. Who comes to you? What problems do you help solve across departmental boundaries?

4. The Feedback Seeker: You Treat Criticism as Data

The people most ready for promotion are often those who actively seek feedback on how to improve.

Most of us avoid feedback like it's a vegan option at a steakhouse. We claim we want it, but when it arrives, we're suddenly defensive or making excuses.

Leaders view criticism as data, not personal attacks. They're hungry for information that helps them improve. This doesn't mean accepting all feedback uncritically - some of it will be rubbish. But the willingness to seek it out and process it objectively? That's a leadership behaviour.

Evidence to collect: Document the feedback you've sought and the changes you've made as a result. This proves you're coachable - a non-negotiable trait for senior roles.

5. The Ownership Taker: You Say "I'll Handle It" When Things Go Wrong

When something goes wrong, do you focus on solutions or excuses? Do you say "I'll handle it" or "that's not my job"?

Ownership is perhaps the clearest signal of leadership readiness. Not the toxic "I'll do everything myself" kind that leads to burnout, but the "this is my responsibility, and I'll ensure it gets fixed" kind.

During the original Xbox launch, we had a manufacturing crisis that threatened our entire European release. Senior leaders modelled ownership in real-time. No finger-pointing, just clear-eyed assessment and decisive action. That behaviour cascaded through the entire organisation.

Evidence to collect: Keep a record of problems you've owned and solved, especially those outside your formal job description.

6. The Quiet Leader: Others Follow Without Formal Authority

This is what Jennie at Microsoft exemplified perfectly. She didn't need a title to influence outcomes. People followed her lead because they respected her judgment and trusted her integrity.

Influence without authority is the purest form of leadership. It's also the hardest to fake. You can't demand this kind of respect; you earn it through consistent behaviour over time.

If colleagues are coming to you for advice, including you in important decisions without being asked, or deferring to your judgement even when they outrank you, you're already leading.

Evidence to collect: Document instances where you've influenced outcomes without formal authority. This proves you're ready for the title.

7. The Future Thinker: You See Patterns Others Miss

Whilst your colleagues focus on hitting this quarter's targets, you're already thinking about next quarter's challenges. You're spotting trends before they become apparent.

This isn't about being a fortune teller - it's about being observant. The best strategists I've worked with weren't necessarily the most intelligent people in the room, but they were the most observant. They paid attention to weak signals whilst everyone else was distracted by loud noise.

Evidence to collect: Track your predictions and trend spotting. When you've identified opportunities or threats before they become apparent, document them.

8. The Standards Raiser: Your Work Makes Others Better

There's a phenomenon in professional sport where one exceptional player raises the entire team's performance. They don't demand excellence - they inspire it simply by demonstrating what's possible.

If your work quality is making others step up their game, you're exhibiting leadership behaviour. Not through being pushy or demanding, but through setting an example others want to match.

Evidence to collect: Note colleagues' feedback on your standards. Document instances where others have adopted your approach.

9. The Growth Mindset: You're Learning Faster Than Your Role Requires

Are you learning new skills faster than your current role requires? Volunteering for challenges that stretch your abilities? Taking on projects requiring skills you don't yet have?

This signals two things: ambition and adaptability. Both are essential for senior roles where job descriptions constantly evolve.

I've deliberately moved across five different categories in my career - from music to tech to community to cybersecurity to gaming. Each move required learning rapidly. That willingness to be uncomfortable has been the single most valuable trait in my professional development.

Evidence to collect: Track the new skills you've acquired. Document the challenges you've volunteered for that were beyond your current capability.

Now, It’s Your Turn

Recognising these behaviours in yourself is the first step. Building an evidence-based case is step two.

This Week:

• Create a "promotion evidence" document and start logging examples

• Ask three trusted colleagues which behaviours they see you demonstrating

• Schedule time with your manager to discuss career progression

This Month:

• Compile at least two concrete examples for each behaviour you're exhibiting

• Identify which behaviours you need to develop more deliberately

• Create a development plan with specific, measurable actions

This Quarter:

• Present your evidence-based case to your manager

• Seek feedback on what additional evidence they need

• Begin deliberately demonstrating any missing behaviours (only if authentic to who you are)

Here's what I learned from Jennie’s promotion at Microsoft: she wasn't trying to get promoted. She was operating at the level she found most engaging. The promotion recognised what was already true.

Your goal isn't to fake these behaviours. It's to recognise where you're already demonstrating leadership potential and build an evidence base that makes your readiness undeniable.

Smart managers are constantly scanning for these signals. Make sure they can see yours.

Keep on rockin'!

Harvey