The Fastest Way to Get Promoted: Make Your Boss Look Good

I’m running a promotion for all founding subscription members. You can either get one of two options for free:

1. Resume/LinkedIn Resume Review: this has been a very popular service so far and will likely make this a long term / yearly offering

2. A handful of questions answered via email. I don’t have the bandwidth to do calls at the moment, and quite a few folks have asked to do this vs a resume/linkedin review if they’re not actively looking for a job so figured to offer it to everyone else.

Note: Once you upgrade to funding, either DM me directly on substack or email me at randomrecruiter3@gmail.com with a screenshot of your payment.

Another Note: Career Coaching calls have been paused for the time being but will resume in a few weeks.

Don’t forget to follow me on instagram & tiktok. I’m close to getting to 10k followers on instagram, and just passed 700 on tiktok. Same handle (@) randomrecruiter. Here I post AI Video Memes with a theme on corporate satire.

Finally, don’t forget I have an e-book where I’ve detailed all my advice for only $5.

---

In This Issue

• Why making your boss look good is the ultimate career unlock

• The politics of outshining vs elevating

• A repeatable playbook for creating upward momentum

• Real-world examples of this strategy in action

• Common mistakes to avoid

• A story about the advice my father gave me that shaped my career

---

Here’s the hard truth about climbing the corporate ladder:

You can’t outshine your boss and expect them to champion your success.

If you do, they’ll see you as a threat. At best, they’ll slow walk your progress. At worst, they’ll sideline you completely.

But if you make your boss look like a rockstar, their success becomes your success. The higher they rise, the more they want to pull you up with them.

This isn’t theory. This is what works in the real world.

It’s been the center of my focus at every role I’ve ahd. It’s helped me land promotions, get access to rooms I had no business being in, and even secure equity from a founder who eventually sold the company.

Let’s break it down.

---

Why Outshining Your Boss Backfires

In most companies, politics matter as much as performance.

You might think that delivering results will get you promoted. That’s only half true. Results matter. But so does perception.

If you’re perceived as a threat to your boss, two things happen:

1. They stop advocating for you.

2. They subtly block your opportunities.

It’s human nature. People protect their position. Especially in big organizations where:

• Your impact isn’t always visible to the higher-ups.

• Credit for wins often flows upward, not outward.

So if you’re trying to move up, the smarter play is to make your boss look good.

Why?

• When they win, you win.

• When they get promoted, they’ll bring their trusted people along.

• They already have relationships with upper management. If you make them look good, they’ll talk about you in rooms you can’t access.

It creates a flywheel. One where their success multiplies your own.

---

The Flywheel Effect: How It Works