02 Don't Get Stuck in the Same Role: IT Leaders Share Their Step-by-Step Strategies for Getting Ahead. Step 1: Align your IT team with the company mission and growth strategy. Aligning your IT projects with the company’s goals is a surefire way to get promoted to the top and sit at the table. Study annual reports, listen to your leadership team about where the company is headed, and look for how IT can give your company a competitive advantage. You can then align and reprioritize your IT projects to lever- age IT as well as your knowledge to help the organization meet its goals. HINT: Don’t treat your role in IT as a job but instead as a career. Set up Google alerts, read industry trade publications, and have in-depth knowl- edge of your competition. Find the technologies that are specific to your industry.