8 Tips to Help You Get Promoted in 2014

As you begin to set your performance goals for 2014, what are some ways that you can start to think, act, and communicate like a leader to help you get that promotion you’ve been looking for? In her article titled, “Act Like a Leader Before You Are One,” Amy Gallo, contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, says it’s never too early – even if you are still several levels away from your dream promotion, there are numerous ways that you can start to successfully carve your path to success.

Amy provides eight tips below to help you get where you want:

Knock your responsibilities out of the park – Don’t let your ambitions get in the way of excelling at your current role. Focus on the present as much as, or more than the future so that no one can question your performance.
Help your boss succeed – If you can make your boss look good, then you look good. Find out what challenges he or she is struggling with, and come up with solutions for those problems. When asked to help with something, lean more towards yes than no.
Seize leadership opportunities no matter what – Find activities, big and small, within your team and with others, inside your organization and outside, to help signal that you have the right kind of leadership potential.
Look for the white space – Look for projects in the ‘white space’ – problems that others either don’t know exist or aren’t willing to take on.
Don’t be a jerk – There’s a fine line between ambition and arrogance – don’t cross the line. What you should aim for is “humble confidence”, says Jen Su, co-author of Own the Room.
Be cautious when sharing your ambitions – Share your ambitions with a manager you trust and make sure to focus on what’s best for the company. Engage in a two-way conversation and gain feedback on how you can continue to make strategic contributions to the business.
Find role models – Learn from other’s successes and failures – find individuals who have the roles that you want, and learn from them. But don’t forget to look at those who are stuck in their career as a lesson of what not to do.
Build relationships – At all times be prepared to answer the question, “What are you up to?” –not just to your boss, but to any senior executive at your organization. You need to build the right relationships, you need to know who your supporters are across the organization, folks who are aware of the work you’re doing – this will help your manager make an easier decision while evaluating you for a promotion.

What other tips would you include in this list? Use the comments section below.

Note: This post was originally written by Gowri Jaisinghani for our sister program, the CEB Market Insights Leadership Council. You can read the original here.