Climbing the ladder as a comms leader: 5 ways to get promoted and thrive from day one

Get yourself into position to make moves.

Mary Olson-Menzel is the founder and CEO of MVP Executive Development and co-founder of Spark Insight Coaching. Michelle Powers is a fractional chief of staff.

The path to a promotion in communications can be nonlinear at times. As the voice of the organization, comms leaders have a unique opportunity to shape culture, inspire trust and drive results. But earning that next step up, whether that’s a VP role or a C-suite position, requires more than just tactical excellence. It calls for expanding your influence, showing up as a leader, creating measurable impact and value, and modeling the resilience that others will follow.

Here’s how to position yourself for your next big move:

1. Expand your influence beyond your function
   Great communications leaders don’t stay in their silos. They build relationships across the organization — from finance to operations to IT — to understand business priorities and become a trusted advisor. Look for opportunities to contribute to cross-functional projects and demonstrate how strategic communications can solve broader business challenges.

2. Develop your leadership presence
   Your presence should inspire confidence. Hone your ability to listen deeply, speak with clarity and adapt your communication style for different audiences. Seek feedback from trusted peers and mentors about how you show up in meetings and presentations. Leadership presence isn’t just about what you say — it’s how you say it, and how you make others feel.

3. Create tangible value
   Executives notice when comms leaders drive outcomes and results, not just outputs. Keep connecting your team’s work to metrics that matter, such as employee engagement scores, customer retention, revenue growth or reputation impact. Frame communications as a strategic partner for long-term business success, not solely a function that produces newsletters, talking points or press releases.

4. Demonstrate your leadership skills daily
   Act like the leader you want to be promoted to and keep that aspirational vision close at hand. That means mentoring your team, setting clear expectations, making decisions with integrity and taking accountability when things go wrong. The more you show that you can operate at the next level, the more likely decision-makers are to see you as ready for it.

5. Maintain a positive outlook — especially under pressure
   The best leaders stay calm in the storm. During challenging times such as layoffs or larger crises, your composure becomes a source of stability for the organization. Model resilience, tenacity and optimism, and your team will follow suit. This ability to remain steady under pressure and be the calmest person in the room is a critical differentiator when leadership roles become available.

Take action

Promotions don’t happen by chance — they happen by design. The good news is that you can start taking steps today to make your next move a reality.

Here’s how to put this into action:

• Build relationships: This week, identify two colleagues outside of your function and invite them for a coffee or a chat. Learn about their priorities and identify ways that communications can support them.

• Get feedback: Ask a trusted peer or mentor to observe you in an upcoming meeting and share what you did well and where you could improve with your leadership and your executive presence.

• Report your wins: Keep a log of comms initiatives and tie them to business results. Share this regularly with your boss and other stakeholders so they see the value you create at all times.

• Lead forward: Volunteer for a cross-functional project, mentor a junior colleague or facilitate a leadership conversation. Small moments add up to a big reputation for leadership.

• Practice resilience: Whether it’s mindfulness and meditation, an exercise program or simple journaling, develop thoughtful habits that keep you centered so you can stay calm and focused no matter what comes your way.

The path to promotion is about creating a vision and then working smarter, not harder, and showing others you’re ready for what’s next. When you take these steps consistently, you’ll build a reputation as a strategic leader, a trusted partner and a steady hand in the moments that matter most. That’s the kind of leader organizations can’t afford not to promote.

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