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  • There are a few behaviors you might exhibit that can hold 
  • you back from getting a promotion.
  • Not making accommodations for your team tells your
  •  boss that you aren't ready for more leadership 
  • responsibilities.
  • Portraying a disbelief in the company itself, or failing 
  • to maintain focus, are two other major red flags to your 
  • supervisors.

In the many years since I started my first company, I've had my fair 
share of experience promoting people. Any good leader wants his or 
her employees to succeed.
Sometimes, though, that desire to help good workers can blind us to
 the truth.
Some of the people I've promoted from within have made me infinitely 
proud, but others have filled me with regret. The difference between 
them? Some wanted a fancier title; some actually wanted to succeed
 long-term.
If an employee worked harder and produced higher-quality work 
before his or her promotion, I realize I've made a mistake: I've trusted
 someone with more responsibility when all he or she sought was more 
prestige.
Have you been scheming for a promotion but finding yourself passed 
over? You might be exhibiting one or more behaviors that hold managers 
back from moving employees up.

1. You refuse to make accommodations 

for your team.

Selfishness is a huge red flag. Leading a team or growing a business 
means sacrificing personal time and energy.
One individual I promoted, for example, left work at the same time every 
day, even if a surprise need arose. Nothing was more important to the
 employee than leaving on time. This employee wasn't cut out for the
 flexibility leadership demands — and didn't find the demands of a
 higher-paying and more responsibility-filled role worth the personal 
sacrifice — and soon left the company.
If you find yourself unable to accommodate your team's needs, start
 with some inner reflection. Leaders are expected to always be on their
 game, and it takes a mature person to admit when he's suffering
 burnout or otherwise not at his best. Be willing to recognize when you've stumbled or when you need a break. I've had to force myself to take a day off to recharge, and those aiming for leadership positions should know when they need to do the same.
To make sure everyone at my company gets the break he needs, I ensure 
everyone has the ability to take personal days off in addition to sick and 
vacation time. I have made it a top priority to both set an example by
 taking personal days off and opening a dialogue so all of my employees 
understand how important it is to recharge.

2. You act like a buddy instead of a leader.

Immaturity can also prevent good employees from becoming great leaders.
 I once promoted a dedicated employee, but the moment I left him in 
charge, our office atmosphere rapidly shifted from startup to frat house. 
Truth was, he was trying too hard to fit in with his old crowd while
 his new title and responsibilities set him outside his former circle.
 Soon, he was not in the circle — or even in the office.
He struggled to balance being responsible with being everyone's friend,
 and it hurt our company, so I had to make changes to keep the majority
 of the team from either revolting or leaving. Leaders should encourage 
open, honest dialogues — but they should stay office-appropriate and
 should avoid veering toward too-personal territory.
Managers can care about their employees and still hold employees 
professionally accountable. Being understanding when a co-worker has
 to care for a sick child, for example, and picking up any slack an absence 
might create, is looking out for the team's best interest and demonstrates
 the empathy, honesty, and trust necessary for any good relationship. 
But trying to stay best friends with direct reports is a recipe for cries 
of favoritism and the resulting resentment. Make sure your emotions
 aren't getting in the way of your behavior or decision-making.

3. You portray disbelief in the company 

itself.

If an otherwise rock-star employee doesn't think the company has a 
future, no amount of compensation will change that outlook. I once 
cut my own salary to give a great employee a promotion, but I soon 
realized he didn't think the company could thrive. His negativity 
affected the entire team.
If you don't wear on your sleeve your passion for your company and 
its mission, try getting creative. Nothing shows initiative more than 
providing new ideas, for example. Good leaders don't wait for others to
 bring them good ideas; they research, brainstorm, and bring ideas to life.
 Have some downtime? Hop on Google and find out what's going on in
 your industry.
Take those findings to your manager with a suggestion for a new piece
 of content or a project. When leaders see that you're always thinking
 about ways to improve the company and that you're willing to bring 
those ideas forward, they'll know you have what it takes. And discovering
 possibilities for the future of your work might be just the spark you need 
to reignite your passion for and belief in your company's mission.

4. You fail to maintain focus.

Leaders who can't stay focused risk hurting the company, too. How can 
they keep the team on track if they themselves can't?
I once promoted an employee who did amazing work in a supporting role
 but was a terrible leader — too many last-minute developments and a
 lack of communication and clarity from this person made for a difficult
 atmosphere that no one appreciated. When it came to oversight 
and project management, the employee gave too many directives
 that lacked clear purpose. The team suffered because other workers 
didn't understand their roles or the reason they were assigned specific 
tasks. When asked questions, this leader would respond simply,
 "Just go do this task" or "Let's get this done in the spring," never 
offering clarification.
In this case, one thing was clear: The leader had no understanding of 
a project's ultimate goal or which resources were necessary to complete 
it. I quickly realized that this person should return to the work she loved:
 the tasks that had held her attention and focus.
No matter what, leaders need to maintain sharp focus on the tasks at
 hand, on business results, and on the people they lead. Employees 
going for a promotion should set frequent goals for themselves that 
align with the company's goals, as goal-setting and staying focused 
on the long term is what drives business and keeps employees happy.
Most leaders like to promote from within, but some traits will make 
any boss hesitant to promote even high-performing employees. Quash 
your questionable behaviors to make sure your boss knows you're ready
 for the big leagues.
Daniel Wesley is a Florida-based entrepreneur with a degree in 
nuclear medicine. His work has been featured in Forbes, Mashable
, The Huffington Post, Fox Small Business, Entrepreneur and 
TIME Magazine. He is currently the chief evangelist at Quote.com,
inspiring his team one word at a time. You can find him on LinkedIn.