For context, I am a young operations manager in a financial services firm. Prior to my promotion, this is a sample of what i did as an analyst:

• spoke up at meetings, with technical ideas which demonstrated expertise
• authored procedures for various processes that did not have documentation
• held third party vendors accountable for blunders
• resolved mistakes or made plans to reconcile prior to approaching manager
• streamlined various processes with VBA, reducing 2-3 hr tasks to 5 mins
• volunteered to train clients, demo to new business, bizdev
• public speaking, speak at virtual seminars, speak at conferences
• worked late hours
• always calm
• got along with coworkers, made them laugh, earned their trust, remembered birthdays, friendly
• became the go-to person for difficult or complex assignments (bonds, foreigns)
• articulate, write good emails
• skilled in excel (microsoft certified), meaning i am very fast

I was (still am) literally the best employee in my department and already had the personality and habits of a manager to begin with. When I was promoted to manager, no one questioned it, no one could compete with me, but everyone liked me already.

Key thing, is to make yourself someone they DO NOT want to lose or have to replace. I also hold multiple degrees and certifications that are relevant to my industry and line of work. They like to add your resume to RFPs, so make it look impressive (get certs, licenses, volunteer, etc) Take advice from an actual manager irl.

Some of guys here sound like blue collar, so i wanted to also add that I worked in construction prior to finance, where I was also a manager and held construction related licenses as well, i.e. OSHA. And even there, I was the fastest worker, no one here will beat my accuracy and speed in carpentry or electrical, fuzzy on plumbing, but I know it.