The “Perception Gap”: Why You Think You’re Ready for Promotion (But Leadership Doesn’t)

You’re hitting targets. You’re consistent. You’re the one people turn to when things go wrong. By all measures, you should be next in line for promotion.

But when the big opportunities come up, your name never makes it past the discussion stage. Someone else — often with less experience — gets the nod.

Frustrating? Absolutely. But here’s the truth most people don’t realise: promotions aren’t decided on performance alone.

What usually stalls careers isn’t lack of capability — it’s the perception gap. The gap between how you see yourself and how the people making decisions see you.

After 20 years in recruitment and working with hiring managers across every industry, I can tell you this: leadership looks through a completely different set of filters when they decide who’s ready for the next step. If you don’t understand those filters, you’ll keep wondering why your career is stuck.

Let’s break it down.

The Three Filters Leaders Use

When leaders sit around a table to decide who’s ready for promotion, they don’t just ask: “Who’s performing well?” They filter people through three lenses: trust, risk, and visibility.

1. Trust

Do they trust you enough to handle more responsibility without constant oversight? Trust isn’t just about delivering results — it’s about consistency, reliability, and judgement.

Leaders ask:

• “If I’m not in the room, will they make the right call?”
• “Do they handle pressure without losing it?”
• “Can I rely on them to represent the team well?”

2. Risk

Promotions are risky. Get it wrong and it reflects badly on the leader who championed you. So they’ll weigh up:

• “Will this person succeed in a bigger role, or will they crack?”
• “Are they a long-term bet, or will they leave after six months?”
• “Is there anything in their behaviour that could blow up later?”

3. Visibility

It doesn’t matter how good you are if nobody at decision-making level knows about it. If your reputation stops at your manager’s desk, you’re invisible when promotions are being discussed.

Leaders ask:

• “Have I seen evidence they can operate at the next level?”
• “Do other senior people know their name?”
• “Are they known for achievements, or just for being dependable?”

Miss one of these three filters, and you’re stuck in the perception gap.

Signs You’re in the Perception Gap

Here’s how to know if this is what’s holding you back:

1. You’re praised but not progressed. You keep hearing “great job” but nothing changes in your title or responsibilities.
2. Your peers are leapfrogging you. Colleagues with similar or even less experience keep getting tapped for opportunities.
3. Feedback is vague. Instead of specific gaps to fix, you’re told things like “not quite ready” or “keep doing what you’re doing.”
4. You’re not in the room. Decisions about promotions are being made in conversations you’re not part of — and your name isn’t being brought up by others.

If any of this feels familiar, it’s not your competence that’s the problem. It’s the gap between how you see yourself and how leadership perceives you.

How to Actively Close the Perception Gap

The instinct most people have is to either:
a) work even harder and hope someone notices, or
b) get frustrated and start politicking or bragging.

Neither works. Closing the perception gap is about deliberate positioning, not noise. Here’s how.

1. Strengthen the Trust Filter

• Deliver consistently under pressure. Leaders remember who kept calm when everyone else panicked.
• Make good judgement calls visible. When you’ve made a tough decision that worked out, share the outcome. Example: “We adjusted X process last week, and it cut turnaround time by 20%.”
• Show ownership. Don’t just flag problems. Own them, solve them, and communicate the solution.

2. Reduce the Risk Filter

• Signal commitment. If you’re serious about staying and growing with the company, say so. Leaders fear investing in someone who’ll leave immediately.
• Show you’ve learned from mistakes. Everyone makes them — but leaders look for people who can admit it, fix it, and not repeat it.
• Demonstrate readiness gradually. Step into stretch projects before the big role so you de-risk the promotion for decision-makers.

3. Increase the Visibility Filter

• Get in front of senior people. Volunteer to present updates, join cross-team projects, or take on roles that cut across departments.
• Make achievements easy to see. Don’t hide behind the team — find ways to make your specific contributions clear without undercutting others.
• Build relationships upwards. A 20-minute coffee chat with a senior leader can shift perception more than a year of unseen hard work.

Scripts to Shift the Narrative With Your Manager

Closing the perception gap often starts with conversations. But those conversations have to be framed carefully. You don’t want to sound entitled, but you do want to shift how you’re seen.

Here are some scripts you can adapt:

When you want more visibility:

“I’ve noticed most of my work is seen at the team level. I’d like to contribute more broadly. Would it be useful if I presented our quarterly results to the leadership team?”

When you want to de-risk your readiness:

“I know moving into a bigger role can feel like a leap. Are there stretch projects I could take on over the next few months to build that experience in advance?”

When you want to show commitment:

“I see myself building my career here long-term, and I’d like to make sure I’m developing towards leadership roles. What areas do you think I should focus on so I’m ready when opportunities come up?”

When you want feedback that actually helps:

“I appreciate the positive feedback. For me to be ready for the next step, what’s one specific thing I should do differently over the next 6–12 months?”

These aren’t confrontational. They’re subtle ways of shifting the perception filter while showing maturity and proactivity.

The 6–12 Month Playbook for Closing the Gap

Months 1–2:

• Clarify your career story and make it consistent.
• Start logging achievements weekly so you have evidence.

Months 3–4:

• Take ownership of one stretch project.
• Increase visibility — present, share updates, connect across teams.

Months 5–6:

• Have career-focused conversations with your manager. Use the scripts.
• Make it clear you’re committed to staying and growing.

Months 7–12:

• Review progress against the three filters (trust, risk, visibility).
• Line up advocates beyond your direct manager who can champion you when promotion discussions happen.

By the end of 12 months, you’ll have actively closed the perception gap instead of waiting for it to close itself.

From overlooked to undeniable

Promotions aren’t always about who’s the most capable. They’re about who leadership sees as the safest bet.

If you’re stuck despite strong performance, it’s not because you’re not good enough. It’s because of the perception gap — and that’s something you can close.

When you deliberately build trust, reduce risk, and increase visibility, you stop being “the reliable team player” and start being seen as “the obvious next leader.”

That’s how you move from overlooked to undeniable.

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