[dagw]

Land a major deal or create a new product line that doubles revenue? You're getting to the top.

Be in charge of the department/team that "lands a major deal or create a new product line that doubles revenue" and you're on your way to the top. Being the person who was in the office until 3 am working out the final details of that deal or fixing the show stopping bugs that let you actually launch the product won't get you anywhere.

[manigandham]

But that is your job, is it not? What is wrong with the person in charge of the entire department being recognized for meeting the goal? Are they not working hard in their position? What did they do before their current position and what is stopping you from getting to theirs?

There's a tendency to minimize the work by others because we don't have the same perspective, but it's rarely ever accurate. Or helpful.

[dagw]

What is wrong with the person in charge of the entire department being recognized for meeting the goal?

If they played a material role in meeting the goals then nothing. The question is so much about who is getting recognized as who isn't getting recognized. If you want to get recognized and get ahead then simply putting your head down and doing hard work isn't going to get you there.

[termie]

That would seem to depend on the leadership. You might get the leader’s former job.

[village-idiot]

Depends on the company, and a few other details.

Smart companies reward those workers, dumb ones often do not. This naturally pushes some of the smart and self motivated talent towards organizations where they will be rewarded.

The one other exception is personality. The toxic person who works until 3am will rarely if ever get rewarded, because people judge more on the toxicity than anything else.