You’re already in a leadership role, but lately it feels like your career growth has hit a wall. You’re performing well, hitting goals, maybe even mentoring others – yet you keep getting passed over for the next step. What gives?

In this episode of The Made Leader, Jen Arnold is joined by Karen Suchsland for a frank conversation on why middle managers get stuck and what you can actually do about it. This isn’t about waiting around for someone to notice you – it’s about taking ownership of your career story and making strategic moves that get results.

Karen Suchsland is known for fostering collaborative team environments that allow team members to learn, grow professionally and successfully deliver on company objectives while having a healthy dose of fun. 

Together, Jen and Karen explore the hidden (and not-so-hidden) reasons leaders get overlooked for promotion: from being in a role that’s not considered “promotable,” to failing to make your impact visible across the organization.

We walk through practical ways to troubleshoot how to get your next promotion, from understanding your company’s real promotion timeline to figuring out if the role you want even exists. Karen shares why doing a “good job” isn’t enough anymore and how to add real value that gets noticed by the right people.

Most importantly, you’ll learn how to be visible in ways that matter, build relationships that advocate for you when you’re not in the room, and know when it might be time to leave to get what you want. Because at the end of the day, you own your career, and this episode gives you the roadmap to act like it.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m doing everything right, so why am I still stuck?”—this episode is for you.

Download the Promotion Troubleshooting Guide referenced in this podcast at: https://bit.ly/MadeLeaderGuide

Key Highlights

• Reflect first: Understand your real driver for wanting a promotion such as more money, responsibility, or status before making any moves 
• How long do promotions take: Research shows the average time to promotion is 30.4 months, but your company’s timeline might be different 
• Not all roles are promotable: Sometimes the role you want simply doesn’t exist or isn’t designed for advancement 
• Good isn’t good enough: Doing your job well is expected—you need to add strategic value beyond your basic responsibilities 
• Visibility matters, but do it right: Don’t ask questions just to be heard—make sure you’re contributing real value 
• Connect to company goals: Tie your team’s work to organizational objectives and tell that story consistently 
• Talk to people in the roles you want: Ask about daily challenges and required skills, not just what you observe in meetings 
• Be explicit about advancement: Don’t just say you want to advance—explain exactly what that looks like to you 
• Ask for advice, not just feedback: People are more willing to help when you frame it as seeking advice 
• Build an advisory board or sponsor: Get input from peers, higher-ups, and trusted advisors across the organization 
• Take action on feedback: If you ask for advice and do nothing with it, you’re showing that you’re not ready for a promotion
• Know when to leave: Sometimes you have to change companies to get the growth you want 

Resources/Links Mentioned

• Download the Promotion Troubleshooting Guide referenced in this podcast at: https://bit.ly/MadeLeaderGuide
• Past episode on executive presence: Boost Your Executive Presence in Leadership Meetings
• Past episode on getting promoted to Chief People Officer: Breaking Into the C-Suite: A Director’s Success Story with Nicole Fallowfield
• Connect with Karen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-suchsland/ 

Guest Bio

Karen has depth and breadth of experience successfully leading high performing teams across multiple industries and disciplines. She is known for fostering collaborative team environments that allow team members to learn, grow professionally and successfully deliver on company objectives while having a healthy dose of fun. She is a certified Project Management Professional and has an MBA from Meredith College.