How I Got Promoted Without Being the Best: What CEOs Won’t Tell You
- Elena Carruba
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
By Dr Elena Carruba: Triple-Engine Mastery for the Future Leader
What if I told you that being the best isn’t the best way to get promoted?
Sounds counterintuitive, right? But it’s true. And it's not just me saying it—watch this video diary of a CEO who openly admits:
🗣️ "I wasn’t the smartest or the most qualified. But I got promoted because I knew how to connect with people—and how to use that connection."
Welcome to the hidden superpowers of modern leadership:
✅ Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
✅ Artificial Intelligence Quotient (AIQ)
✅ …and a little charisma alchemy.
🚀 Promotions Are Not Won. They Are Engineered.
You might still think: “Surely my skills and results will speak for themselves.”
Let’s get real.In most companies, results don’t speak. People do. And those people promote individuals they trust, respect, like, and believe can lead beyond technical performance.
That’s why your next promotion is more about mastering these forces:
👁️🗨️ Perception management
🧠 Social radar
🧬 Narrative control
🤖 Ethical AI leverage
📜 Storytime: The Charisma Teacher Who Became a CEO
Leaders who practice daily micro-reflection (just 5–10 minutes of journaling EQ/AIQ insights) make 3x faster decisions under pressure.
In the referenced CEO’s story, his secret weapon was not a fancy MBA—it was empathy and charm under pressure.
🗨️ “When a manager’s child was sick, I remembered to ask. When someone looked down, I took them for coffee. When a big decision came, they included me—because they trusted me.”
He built a “trust echo.”Not louder. Just clearer.
🧠 Mini-Exercise:
Next time you're in a meeting, ask yourself:“Who needs to feel seen right now?”Then act on it. That’s EQ in motion.
🤩 Fun Facts You’ll Want to Quote
Harvard Business Review found that emotional intelligence accounts for 90% of what sets high performers apartfrom peers with similar technical skills.
🤖 “In the age of AI, leaders are not replaced by machines—they're replaced by leaders who know how to use them.”
⚡️ Elena’s Vanguard Leader Tips
The term Artificial Intelligence Quotient (AIQ) is now used in Silicon Valley to assess how “AI-literate” and adaptable a leader is—not just how well they code, but how wisely they delegate to machines.
🎯 Daily EQ Ritual:Start your morning asking, “Who can I uplift today?” Then send a voice message or compliment. You just activated your charisma loop.
🎯 Weekly AIQ Habit:Spend 20 minutes exploring tools like Descript, ChatGPT, or Notion AI. Ask: How could this free me to think better, lead better, or listen better?
🎯 Monthly Reflection:Use your phone to record a 1-minute video diary. Title it: “How I’m leading without the title yet.” Watch it after 3 months. You’ll see your evolution.
🔥 “Learn how to make people feel seen. That’s charisma. That’s power.”
🎁 Bonus: Your Promotion-Readiness Checklist
✅ I listen more than I speak in high-stakes meetings
✅ I ask questions that make others feel interesting
✅ I know at least 3 AI tools that multiply my value
✅ I track how people feel after interactions with me
✅ I have at least one mentor or sponsor in my network
If you checked 3 or more—you’re on the path.If not—you’re exactly who this post was made for.
🎬 The Takeaway?
You don’t need to be the most qualified.You need to be emotionally intelligent, strategically visible, and AI-aware.That’s how the promotions really happen.
Want help mastering this triple engine (IQ–EQ)?
Book:
–AIQ)?
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