Tips to Position Yourself for a C-Suite Promotion for Introverted Leaders

There is a misconception that extroverts make the best executive leaders and as an introvert, you may think that you must act extroverted if you are to get promoted to the c-suite. But trying to be something you are not is stressful, plus you are more likely to experience imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and self-doubt as a result. 

The reality is that neither introverts NOR extroverts make the best leaders. Because the most effective leadership needs a balance of the two, and leaders who only exhibit a strong dominance of one characteristic or the other tend to lack that balance. – Henley Business School

If you are an introverted leader who wants to secure a c-suite position, be yourself and position yourself for it in a way that works for you. Develop your self-awareness so you recognise when to adapt your behaviour according to the situation at hand.

As an introvert, many of the activities typically associated with raising visibility and positioning yourself for promotion may not appeal to you and if this is so, here are 5 things you can do to raise your visibility and start positioning yourself for that promotion.

Get a sponsor

Let other people blow your horn and get yourself a sponsor. When one of my clients was positioning herself for a promotion, I worked with her to identify senior stakeholder sponsors who could be her advocates and sing her praises. Many people often only think about getting sponsors who are internal to the organisation, but having external stakeholders who are influential, helps to promote you within your organisation and wider industry.

Identify who your sponsors can be, from within the organisation and amongst stakeholders, and develop and nurture these relationships. For my client this meant that the CEO frequently attended meetings with stakeholders who would talk about the great things my client was doing.

Network, network, network

The benefits of networking for career advancement are well known. Whether you are looking for an internal promotion, or looking to go elsewhere, include networking as part of your positioning strategy.

The challenge with networking for many introverts is that they don’t like it. They don’t enjoy making small talk and they find networking overly stimulating. This has a draining effect, and as a result, they are less likely to want to talk and engage with others.

Business development and bringing in new clients was a requirement of one of my client’s roles. But going to networking events with the sole purpose of finding new clients felt too uncomfortable for her. 

She eventually came to view it as an opportunity to meet new people so she could start to build relationships. She could then develop and nurture those relationships away from the networking environment and where appropriate, introduce them to the benefits of what her organisation could do for them. 

Like many introverts she did not like making small talk so would have fewer more meaningful conversations. She also made sure she gave herself sufficient time to recharge after, so she didn’t feel drained. Changing her approach in this way made it much more enjoyable.

In the current climate with networking taking place virtually, you may be tempted to avoid it, but virtual networking does have its advantages.

Utilise LinkedIn and other online platforms

Raise your visibility by connecting with the senior decision makers in your organisation, as well as with senior stakeholders on LinkedIn. Engage with their posts and articles. Post your own content and write articles that demonstrate your knowledge and expertise and offer advice and solutions.

Showcase your thought leadership by writing for industry publications, the company intranet site or magazine, as well as publishing articles on LinkedIn.

Raising your visibility in this way not only shows your thought leadership, it also brings it to the attention of those decision makers.

Make your achievements known to those who need to know

Talk about your achievements with those who need to know, focusing on the benefits to the wider organisation, the difference made, and the role that you played in it. Acknowledge your team, but do not let your achievements become buried in the ‘we’.

Don’t wait for your annual performance review to inform your manager of your accomplishments. Keep them updated on a regular basis, that way, when it comes to you applying for promotion, your accomplishments have been well documented in your manager’s mind.

Do the work on you

Identify what is required for the role you aspire to and do any work on yourself that is required. Get a coach if needed, to work with you on those blind spots, to challenge you, and help you to overcome any self-limiting beliefs.

Get feedback to see whether others perceive you as a leader at that level and identify what you can do differently if they don’t. Take on stretch assignments that provide you with developmental opportunities and give you the chance to showcase what you are capable of. And then when that promotion opportunity arises, go for it.

If you want to get your next promotion, develop your plan, position yourself and place yourself in the best possible position to get the role.

Are you an introverted leader looking to get your next promotion? If so, in what way are you positioning yourself for it?

Do you want to be more visible as a leader, develop your thought leadership, and increase your influence, impact and presence through using LinkedIn and within your wider industry? If so, join my next, 4 week LinkedIn and Visibility Challenge for Introverted Women Leaders starting 5 October where I will show you how. Find out about it here.

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About Me

I am an Executive, Career and Leadership Coach, known as The Coach for High Achieving Introverted Women, and 3 x LinkedIn Top Voice UK. I coach women who are senior leaders to be visible, to confidently exude presence, to influence, and make an impact. I also provide workshops, webinars and talks on personal development, career development and leadership development.

If you are an introverted woman and a senior leader and want to increase your confidence, influence and impact, take my free assessment and get a report identifying areas to develop. You can take the assessment here. 

?My book Quietly Visible: Leading with Influence and Impact as an Introverted Woman addresses many of the challenges that introverted women face as leaders and shows how these challenges can be overcome. It was listed as one of the 10 best self-development books written by women to read during lockdown by BeYourOwn. You can get your copy here along with a FREE recording of my How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome workshop.