If you run your own small business, you are already the “top dog” in the company, and you will simply need to turn your focus to “beating your competition” in order to have the most success you can; if, on the other hand, you are working within a company, you will need to not only focus on helping the company beat the competition, but will also need to know all the things you can do to outperform others at your level in order to gain promotions for yourself!
In order to move up the ranks in a business, one of the best things you can do is to always show up at least a few minutes early, and to always leave at least a few minutes late; while this is a symbolic move that displays your commitment to the company, it will also put your in a position where you are always doing at least a little bit more work each day than what is “expected” of you.
As you make this effort to show up early and leave late each day, you should also be making an effort to learn more about the business, the business landscape, and the competition than anyone else is learning; take some extra time at home each day – even if it is no more than 15 minutes – to accumulate some extra knowledge.
And one thing you should be aware of is the fact that an expansion of job responsibilities often entails an expansion of the number of people you are working with in some direct or indirect way as well, and because of this, it will be of great benefit to you if you are continually working to improve your people skills, as this will put your in a position to continue succeeding each time you are promoted.
Promotions do not always come quickly and automatically, but by simply keeping these things in mind, you will be able to increase the likelihood of being promoted, and will ensure that you are ready to succeed when that promotion comes.
