Why Some People Get Promoted Twice as Fast
The secret isn't politics or presence – it's High Agency
In every company, a handful of people seem to zoom up the career ladder. Not the loud ones dominating meetings. Not the ones playing politics. But genuine high performers who get promoted at double the speed.
After years of managing teams and making promotion decisions, I've noticed something interesting: at senior levels, it's less about technical skills and more about one critical trait – High Agency.
What exactly is High Agency?
High agency is a deep, almost intrinsic sense of ownership.
Think about the best product leader you've worked with. They didn't just "do their job." They operated as if they owned the product. When I'm considering someone for promotion, I ask myself: Can I put their area on autopilot? Will they move things forward, handle surprises, and make smart decisions without constant nudging?
Here's the tricky part – High Agency is almost impossible to teach. But as a manager, you can define what it looks like for your team. It can range from being the subject matter expert (SME) in your domain to consistent behaviors like responding to stakeholders within 24 hours.
When someone truly embodies high agency, it manifests in three specific behaviors:
1. Thriving Within Ambiguity (Not Just Seeking to Eliminate It)
Anyone can execute when everything is crystal clear. But in product management, that clarity is more of an exception than the rule. There's always some uncertainty – about user needs, market dynamics, technical constraints, or organizational priorities.
Seeking clarity is table stakes. The normal thing to do. But high-agency PMs differentiate themselves by maintaining momentum even when perfect clarity isn't possible. They don't wait for absolute certainty to act.
I saw this firsthand during a major reorg at one of my previous roles. Our team's charter was in flux. Key stakeholders were changing, and the product strategy was being redefined. Many PMs either froze ("let's wait until things settle") or burned energy fighting for immediate clarity on things outside their control.
But the most effective PMs did something different.
They identified the few unchanging elements – core user problems, technical constraints, team capabilities – and kept building value there. They carved out areas where they could make progress and focused their efforts there.
This ability to operate effectively within ambiguity becomes increasingly valuable as you move up. At senior levels, perfect clarity is often an illusion or arrives too late to be useful. The job isn't to eliminate ambiguity, it is to navigate it with confidence.
2. Accelerating Decisions Through Precise Communication
This is harder than it sounds. Whether it's written or verbal, conciseness is about delivering the right message with the right level of detail. And working backwards from the desired outcome.
Written: Aligning a partner team isn't just about data and logical arguments. You need to address the emotional drivers too. What's in it for them? How does this contribute to their goals? A high-agency PM anticipates these questions and proactively addresses them.
Verbal: The ability to answer questions directly is just as important. In product reviews with senior leadership, if you're asked a yes/no question, start with the answer ("Yes," "No," or "It depends") before diving into the context. Many people make the mistake of providing context first, especially when they know the answer might be unfavorable or require a lengthy explanation.
3. Evangelizing Impact through storytelling
While I don't love the term "optics," the truth is that visibility matters. But it's not about self-promotion. It's about consistently crafting a compelling narrative around your work and its impact.
There are some obvious table stakes here:
Sending regular updates to ensure stakeholders are informed and engaged.
Creating and socializing a clear charter for your team, outlining the mission, vision, and OKRs.
But you can go a step further. Weave a story that connects daily execution to larger impact. Highlight not just what you’re building, but why it matters and how you’re approaching it.
The Takeaway
High Agency isn't a skill you develop overnight. But it's often the differentiator for promotions at senior levels. Focus on:
Maintaining momentum even when clarity is missing
Communicating with purpose and precision
Making your impact visible through consistent storytelling
Remember: It's not about being perfect at everything. It's about showing that deep sense of ownership that makes leaders trust you with bigger challenges.
