rise from the ranks

To reach a prominent position after serving in subordinate ones. The employees trust Stu as their manager because they know that he rose from the ranks from the same entry-level position that they have now. The only way you'll rise from the ranks here is by putting in enough time and hard work.

rise through the ranks

To reach a prominent position after serving in subordinate ones. The employees trust Stu as their manager because they know that he rose through the ranks from the same entry-level position that they have now. The only way you'll rise through the ranks here is by putting in enough time and hard work.

risen from/through the ranks

A self-made man or woman; those who have worked their way to the top. Originally this term described an officer who had worked his way up from the rank of private, a rare achievement. John Ruskin used it figuratively in an 1853 letter: “Mr. Beveridge . . . rose from the ranks—as Jephson did.” See also rags to riches; rank and file.