During your first year in the workforce, what you know is the most important. Developing the competencies and base-level knowledge essential to succeeding in your role and often determine eligibility for advancement. A few years in, when you’ve gained expertise in your function or domain, who you know becomes just as important as your skill set — especially if you wish to move up into a management role. The tipping point comes after you’ve gained some experience as a people manager and are well-rounded in your subject matter or field. This is when you’re ready to lead a larger team and who knows you matters. How do you go about it?

• Positioning: To build trust and reliability with influential people, you need to establish yourself as someone who is dependable. You need to make an intentional effort to “position” yourself the way you want others to see you as a person and professional.
• Publishing: Other people don’t know what’s going on in your head: your thoughts, ideas, opinions, passions, and visions for the future. If you want these things to be known, you need to make them visible. Write and share your ideas on social media, sign up for public speaking engagements, or simply raise your hand more in meetings.
• Collaborating: As a rising leader, you should attempt to collaborate with your senior colleagues whenever the chance arises. If you can show them your value, they will continue to support you in future endeavors and may even become your champions or ambassadors down the line.