How To Succeed in Business: 6 Myths Debunked

Accelerating career growth does not look the same way for everyone. Men and women have fallen victim to the common myths below.

Have you been passed over for a promotion or stuck in your role for far too long? Across all industries and roles, women are promoted at a slower rate than men.

Here are the most common beliefs people mistakenly follow in their positions that do not lead to career growth.

Myth #1: The biggest obstacle in your career is your manager

If you are always saying you have an “incompetent boss," or you are waiting for your boss to notice your accomplishments and promote you, you may need to take responsibility and face the fact that no one is going to give you what you are looking for unless you ask for it. If you have already approached your manager and he or she doesn't seem ready to help you advance, it may be because you need to work on the skillset for the next position and prove you can take on these responsibilities by demonstrating that to your boss. Your manager will be accountable for how prepared you are for this next role, so they may be hesitant to advance you until they are absolutely sure you won't make mistakes (even if you feel you are ready). Try to find ways to demonstrate your skillset without waiting for your manager to ask you for the type of work involved in the role you are working towards.

It's also not up to your mentor or coach to automatically help you move up to the next rung. Take important advice from these coaches if you are lucky enough to have one of them, but the work should be done by you.

Myth #2: Being a high performer gives you more opportunities