Want a promotion? You need a leadership narrative

Posted on 19 February, 2025

Of all the career complaints, continually being passed over for a promotion is easily one of the most common.

Particularly if you’ve been striving for one for months or years without success, the ongoing sense of rejection is enough to make even the most optimistic professional question their abilities.

Yet when it comes to securing a promotion, executive coach Dr Kim Vella says that it rarely comes down to ability at all. Most promotion candidates have a wealth of experience, they just don’t know how to clearly articulate their value.

“In an interview, it’s typical for people to fixate on describing what they produce instead of how they lead,” explains Kim. “While this approach might land you a promotion at lower levels, it usually won’t cut it for senior executive roles.

“Especially for public sector employees, if they’re still using the same approach that landed them an APS6 or EL1 role and it’s no longer working, it’s time to try something new.”

So how do you articulate how you lead as opposed to what you produce? Kim believes that it boils down to having a strong leadership narrative.

“Every leader needs a cohesive, logical, authentic, and impressive leadership narrative. This is a narrative that effectively communicates what you’re really capable of, and why an employer would see you as the right fit for a senior executive role.

“Developing this narrative isn’t always easy because it must encompass all the aspects of leadership experience that are difficult to describe. I’ve previously used the metaphor of being the conductor of an orchestra to describe the ideal leader. In this context, it would be like trying to explain how you regulate tone, pitch, tempo, and dynamics while intuitively guiding the musicians to create a cohesive and emotive performance. None of these aspects of experience are easy to describe.

“You may be a tremendous leader. But if you can’t communicate what feels like ‘just doing your job’, then you won’t fill an interviewer with the confidence they need to promote you.  Their confidence in you comes from the confidence you have in yourself, and your confidence is based on the narrative you tell yourself about yourself.”

Kim notes that developing a leadership narrative takes time and self-reflection, and this introspection often reveals valuable insights. This can include realising gaps in your readiness to take on a senior executive role.

“A common insight for leaders who are developing their narrative is realising they have a low tolerance for ambiguity. They like situations with immediate and concrete outcomes, and feel uncomfortable making decisions when there is a lot of uncertainty. Unfortunately in today’s environment, most senior leaders need a reasonably high tolerance for ambiguity. So for someone who realises this about themselves, the question becomes whether they would actually prefer to stay in an operational role or if they want to improve their tolerance level – which is a skill that can be learned.”

Developing a leadership narrative, and engaging in self-reflection to uncover and address leadership gaps, are all part of the Leadership Strategies Series. Designed specifically for public sector leaders, Kim says that the skills participants learn go well beyond helping them get a promotion.

“The skills you need to articulate value in a job interview are similar to those you might use to articulate a vision to your team, or influence stakeholders with your ideas. We’ll be sharing practical frameworks that not only help participants develop these skills in themselves but also their teams. Communication – and the insight or wisdom behind what you are communicating – are fundamental aspects of leadership success.”

Insight and communication will be key themes in Kim’s next ‘Inside Look’ webinar on March 3. She’ll be joined for a fireside chat by expert strategist Dr Ian Langford – a retired Brigadier and Executive Director of Security and Defence Plus with a wealth of experience leading teams in complex and ambiguous environments.

“Dr Langford’s 30-year experience in the Australian Defence Force offers profound wisdom. Together, we’ll explore the importance of converting experience into insight, so you can build confident narratives and connect with others in meaningful and inspiring ways.”