Getting promoted - overcoming systemic barriers
Barbra Carlisle • March 12, 2026
Navigating barriers to promotion - when you don't see anyone like you in leadership
When I interviewed Learie Gonsalves of Blackbird Property Solutions
on the Unlikely Executive podcast, he talked about the challenges he had faced in the housing sector trying to secure promotion and leadership roles.
It really resonated for me because I heard this often when I was Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for a design and engineering consultancy firm.
Securing promotion when you can't see others like you is psychologically a hard thing to navigate.
Learie built a career in building surveying and architecture, industries where, as he put it, he simply didn’t look like the people around him. And that came with real consequences.
“When you’re in an arena where they don't see many people like yourself…”
“I came from a community or area that didn't know anything about building surveying or architecture. So when you're in a sort of arena where they don't see many people like yourself, either from a working-class background or being black, dare I say, when you're around, there's challenges around that.”
It affects confidence, visibility, opportunity, and progression.
Many leaders assume that those who “don’t get promoted” need more ambition or better performance.
Often, the reality is simpler: the system wasn’t built for them in the first place.
Three Strategies Learie Used to Break Through
1. Ruthless self-belief
When you’re the “only one,” you can start doubting whether you belong.
Learie didn’t pretend that confidence was easy.
What he developed instead was self‑belief as a discipline. Holding onto the truth of his capability even when the environment didn’t reflect it back.
Leaders who break the mould need internal reference points, not external ones.
2. Continuous curiosity
Learie talked openly about how learning became his biggest lever.
Not formal qualifications alone but curiosity:
Asking questions
Shadowing colleagues
Trying things before he felt “ready”
Building technical skill through practice
Curiosity becomes a career accelerator when opportunity isn’t handed to you.
3. Building authentic relationships
This can be transformation, someone in your team, fighting your corner - helping you to see that you can rather than you cant. Relationships that have the potential to create visibility, open doors, and influence your trajectory.
Why Learie’s story matters for leaders today
If you're a business owner, team leader, or senior exec, you influence who progresses and who doesn’t.
Remember that
- Talent doesn’t always look like the last person who was promoted.
- Confidence can be misread when someone is navigating a culture not built for them.
- Curiosity and potential can sit quietly in the background unless someone sees it.
Leaders who create conditions for people to grow, not just those who “fit” build stronger, more resilient organisations.
Learie didn’t break the mould by becoming someone else.
He broke it by staying authentically himself, developing his skills, and forming relationships that saw beyond assumptions.
Promote who people are not who the system expects them to be.
And if you’re the one feeling like the outsider?
Take Learie’s example:
Believe in your capability, stay curious, build genuine connections and push forward anyway.
As leaders, we shape the environments that either limit people or lift them. If you’re committed to creating a culture where diverse talent thrives and where potential is recognised beyond the usual markers, that work starts with you.
If you’re ready to lead with more clarity, confidence and conviction, my 1:1 Bold Leadership Programme
helps you step into a stronger leadership identity so you can build teams who grow, perform and progress because of the culture you create, not in spite of it.
If you want to lead differently, start boldly.
Book a clarity call
to explore whether it’s the right next step for you.
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It sounds counterintuitive but many people feel more shame when they succeed than when they fail. Leaders describe the same sensation: an urge to minimise achievements, downplay their role, or avoid using job titles that signal authority. The psychology beneath “success shame” Research shows that shame is a social emotion triggered when we feel we’re not meeting internal or external expectations, or when we fear being judged for who we are rather than what we did. Success raises the stakes. As visibility increases, so does the fear of exposure. This is the foundation of imposter syndrome, which affects up to 70% of high-performing individuals, especially when stepping into roles that carry authority. According to psychologists, imposter syndrome is characterised by persistent self-doubt, attributing success to luck, and fear of being “found out.” Why job titles trigger discomfort Job titles serve as identity markers and identity is where shame hits hardest. Psychological research distinguishes: - Embarrassment (“I did something silly”) - Guilt (“I did something wrong”) - Shame (“There is something wrong with me”) Shame, not embarrassment, is the emotion most tied to identity, which explains why stating a job title can feel exposing. Many leaders fear that owning their title invites scrutiny they may not live up to. This internal conflict intensifies with success, when expectations feel higher, visibility increases and vulnerability rises. Others fear social disapproval or judgment for appearing “too confident.” The evolutionary and cultural roots Shame evolved as a mechanism to maintain group cohesion, effectively a social brake to prevent behaviours that risk group rejection. Modern workplace dynamics amplify this: senior roles often come with public accountability, performance pressures and comparison with peers. Psychology research highlights that success can activate the same vulnerability circuits as failure, just in different ways. Practical ways leaders can reduce “success shame” 1. Name it. Recognising shame reduces its power, literally bringing it into conscious awareness disrupts avoidance. 2. Separate identity from performance. Your role describes what you do, not who you are. 3. Rehearse your job title neutrally. Build comfort stating it without caveats or humour. 4. Assign credit accurately. Neither minimising nor inflating your contribution: just being factual. 5. Use mentoring or coaching to normalise visibility discomfort. Exposure is easier when shared. The leaders who struggle most with shame are often the ones who care deeply, lead well and hold themselves to high standards. But owning your authority isn’t arrogance, it’s clarity. And you deserve it! If you are struggling with your identity as a leader just get in touch and we can talk. email barbra@gleecoaching.com
