9 ways to position yourself for promotion from salesperson to sales leader:

1. Be a consistent top performing individual contributor 
2. Distance yourself from the office social scene 
3. Maintain appropriate relationships with co-workers
4. Find solutions to problems others complain about
5. Help coach and mentor reps without being asked
6. Help to diffuse team drama instead of fueling it
7. Voice your interest in a leadership role but be patient
8. Learn how to read and comprehend financial reporting
9. Build strong relationships with cross-department leaders

Doing these things puts you well ahead of the line. 

But you still need to work somewhere with upward mobility. 

That's the hard part today...

But if you wait long enough, the time will eventually come.

 These are the things that helped me move up into sales leadership but a huge factor was picking a startup that was growing so fast they needed a lot of new managers.

If that's not happening, the wait will obviously be much longer, but the longer you prove these qualities true, the farther up the line you move. 

Sometimes a lack of upward mobility can be an advantage because it may push out your competition if you wait long enough. 

That said, there's nothing wrong with remaining an individual contributor if you're earning great money; lot's of upside to being in full control of your own destiny, but for those who seek leadership, do what you can to own and ace this list.

Happy Selling,