Showing Up Gets You Promoted? It’s a Lie!

Daisy thought she was doing everything right. Every meeting? Present. Camera on. Notes ready. Volunteering for committees. Always saying yes.

But when she finally let the truth out, the frustration was clear: “I show up for everything. But when it comes to recognition and promotion, I’m invisible.”

Here’s the hard truth: showing up isn’t enough.

The Illusion of “Presence”

We’ve all heard the advice: “Just show up consistently and success will follow.”

But here’s reality: attendance ≠ advancement. Being present doesn’t automatically build credibility, visibility, or impact.

Daisy’s quarterly review proved it.

Her manager praised her “positive attitude” and how she “shows up.”

But when she asked about advancement?

The feedback was vague.

“We need to see more strategic thinking. More leadership presence.”

Translation: You don’t grow by showing up. You grow by stepping up.

Comfort Zone vs. Growth Zone

Growth doesn’t come from passively being present. It comes from stepping up through zones of discomfort with intention.

Here’s the framework:

1. Comfort Zone – You feel safe, steady, and in control. But you’re not growing. This is the trap of just “showing up.”
   

2. Fear Zone – Step out and doubts appear. Lack of confidence. Excuses. Worrying about what others think. This is where many people stall — mistaking activity for progress.
   

3. Learning Zone – Push past fear and you begin acquiring new skills, tackling harder problems, and stretching your thinking. This is where visibility and influence begin.
   

4. Growth Zone – This is where purpose, leadership, and breakthrough performance live. You stop waiting for recognition and start commanding it.
   

Most people confuse the Fear Zone with growth because it feels uncomfortable. But discomfort alone doesn’t equal progress.

True growth only happens when you step up through fear into learning and execution.

How Daisy Stepped Up

Here’s what happened when Daisy decided to stop just showing up and start stepping up:

1. She stopped being everywhere. She cut out low-value committees and focused on high-impact projects tied to business outcomes.
   

2. She unlearned old habits and relearned new ones. Daisy let go of the belief that “attendance = advancement” and adopted a new way of working: being selective, intentional, and bold.
   

3. She came with answers. No more passive presence in meetings. She prepared data, solutions, and insights that shifted conversations.
   

4. She learned the frameworks that gave her a strategic view. Instead of reacting, she started applying structured approaches to diagnose problems, map opportunities, and communicate her impact clearly.
   

5. She built strategic alliances. Instead of spreading thin, she aligned with key people who could accelerate her goals.
   

6. She mastered the system. She studied the promotion criteria until she knew exactly how to play — and win — the game.
   

7. She implemented what she learned. Theory didn’t sit in her notebook — she applied the frameworks daily, proving her value through visible results.
   

The result? She didn’t wait for permission anymore. She became impossible to ignore.

The Playbook: Stepping Up vs. Showing Up

• Showing up: Attend the networking event. Stepping up: Leave with five follow-up meetings and a clear action plan.
  

• Showing up: Join the team meeting. Stepping up: Bring a framework, apply it to the problem, and shift the conversation with three concrete solutions.
  

• Showing up: Sit through the quarterly review. Stepping up: Present a self-assessment that applies strategic frameworks, quantifies achievements, and maps a growth plan.
  

• Showing up: Rely on old habits. Stepping up: Unlearn what no longer works, relearn new approaches, and apply them with discipline.
  

The difference isn’t attendance. The difference is intention, framework, and execution.

Step Up Past “Showing Up”

This isn’t about effort. It’s about execution.High performers don’t wait to be noticed. They command notice.

At Alvigor, we challenge leaders and teams to break the “showing up” mindset and step up with clarity, confidence, and execution. Because presence without performance is noise.

The question isn’t whether you’re showing up.The real question is: How are you stepping up?

Ready to Step Up Beyond “Showing Up”?

Stop waiting for recognition. Start commanding it.

In our Change management sessions, we walk you through the Growth Zone model, from comfort to fear, learning to growth and show you how to apply it with your team. No fluff. No waiting. Just execution.

[Book a Change Management Session]