False. Advancement is sometimes based purely on metrics, but most of the time, it is not. If you are a top performer and wondering why you aren’t moving up while others are, I have a few questions.

1. What are you doing to lift your team?
2. What is your relationship with your manager?
3. Have had a conversation about what you need to advance with your manager?
4. What does good look like for your leadership (not just manager but skip manager)?
5. What other measures are used to determine success? Are you outperforming all of them?
6. Are you respected and treat people respectfully?

So many folks feel they deserve advancement without seriously looking at themselves in the mirror. It’s always easier to blame a manager when things don’t fall in place for you. Don’t get me wrong, there are horrible bosses out there. But, if you approach “managing up” with disdain because you feel you are better than or deserve this no-brainer promotion because it’s so obvious, then your manager is not the problem. It’s you.