Why You’ve Never Been Promoted

1. Your boss doesn't trust you

2. Your boss feels your performance is inconsistent

Trust between people is built not in open settings, but through the off-the-record dealings that happen behind closed doors.

The interests of the company, your boss, senior executives, your direct manager, and yourself—those are five separate sets of interests, and they don't always align.

You earn trust by serving the person who holds it. You win your boss's confidence by working for them directly; simply doing things for the company won't necessarily do the trick. More importantly, the decision on your promotion rests with your boss or your direct supervisor, not the company as a whole.