With the and many companies gearing up to distribute unimpressive “” this year, employees are rushing to figure out what truly qualifies someone for a promotion in 2026. Per CEO , the answer may involve winning over colleagues and securing their approval first.
In his view, this matters far more than interview performance.
“Every day you work is your interview for your next role,” Robbins last week on .
In fact, Robbins doubts internal promotion interviews add much value at all.
“I think when we have two or three internal candidates for a promotion, the whole interview process is silly to me,” Robbins added. “We’ve watched these people work for years. What could we learn about them in a 30-minute room chat when we can observe their actual work?”
Instead, Robbins wants to know if the people you collaborate with would support your move to the next level.
“If your peers see your promotion announcement and think, ‘That makes total sense,’ then you’ve done your part, right?” Robbins said.
“And if you can’t look in the mirror and ask, ‘Would those people be happy, and do they think this is the right call?’ If not, you’re probably not quite ready yet.”
reached out to Cisco for further comment.
Why Your Peers’ Approval Is the Secret to Securing a Promotion
Robbins joined Cisco in late 1997 as an account manager before being , but during his own career climb, he learned that those who advance aren’t just strong individual performers—they’re willing to lift up peers alongside them.
“You also need people who care about their colleagues’ success,” Robbins said. “The person solely focused on individual ascent won’t make it.”
Other Cisco leaders have echoed this team-first mindset.
, the company’s chief product officer, last year noted that one of the biggest mistakes ambitious workers make is believing they can succeed alone.
“Often, pride and ego get in the way,” Patel said. “We think, ‘I’ll be self-made.’ But no one is self-made—we live in an interconnected world where people rely on each other. Standing on giants’ shoulders takes you farther.”
Since opportunity access is often unequal, Patel added, leaning on others isn’t something to feel guilty about: “If you have resources and don’t use them, shame on you.”
Pano Christou, CEO of British coffee giant Pret A Manger, similarly revealed his secret to climbing from shop floor to C-suite: no shortcutting peers or backstabbing. Instead, he focused on excelling at his duties, so peers often celebrated his success.
“I won’t stitch people up on my way up the ladder,” he . “Over time, that’s really paid off.”
From to , Top Leaders Say Taking Unwanted Tasks Has Power
Beyond Cisco, being a reliable teammate and taking on unglamorous work has long been executive advice for Gen Z employees.
Former CEO , who started unloading trucks at a distribution center, said career advancement begins with mastering your current role.
“Don’t take your current job for granted,” the 59-year-old chief exec said. “The next job won’t come if you don’t do the one you have well.”
Equally important: how you treat others. “Be a great teammate—you learn to lead and influence through peer interactions,” he said. “Treat them well, help them do better work.”
Even at the helm of , the globally, CEO emphasized no task is beneath career growth.
“You can’t show me a task that’s beneath me,” Huang said at , discussing his early .
“I cleaned a lot of toilets—more than all of you combined. Some you just can’t unsee.”