Effective leadership requires recognizing and supporting top talent year-round, not just during promotion cycles. By being an ongoing advocate for your team’s growth and contributions, you can elevate their performance, morale, and engagement.
Don’t Wait for Promotion Cycles to Advocate for Your Best Employees
Many managers only begin advocating for their employees when they’re afraid of losing them or when promotion cycles roll around. This reactive approach often comes too late, with managers scrambling to highlight their team members’ strengths in a crowded and competitive environment.
The Ongoing Role of an Advocate
The role of a manager as an advocate goes far beyond checking boxes at promotion time. Advocacy is about continuously championing your team’s growth by recognizing their contributions, ensuring their efforts are relevant to the organization’s goals, and making their value visible to key stakeholders. This ongoing commitment can have significant ripple effects: stronger engagement, higher performance, and a team ready to take on new challenges.
A Leader Who Makes Careers
Aiko, a former client of mine and a high-potential marketing executive at a global organization, had a reputation that went beyond her role. Her team was known for its engagement, productivity, and growth, as her employees got promoted faster than most. People wanted to work for her — she even earned the nickname “Leader Maker.”
The Benefits of Ongoing Advocacy
By making advocacy an ongoing priority, you’ll elevate your own leadership brand, setting yourself apart as a manager who builds careers and drives results. This approach requires dedication and effort, but it can have a lasting impact on your team’s performance and morale.
Luis Velasquez is an executive coach who works with senior leaders and their teams to become more cohesive, effective, and resilient. He is the author of Ordinary Resilience: Rethinking How Effective Leaders Adapt and Thrive and the founder and managing partner of Velas Coaching LLC.
