In the last blog, the question was posed “How can one move from being an individual contributor, to manager, to senior ranks to the top of the org chart?”
Getting promoted to the C-suite, or other senior level positions, doesn’t happen by accident, coincidence or luck. It doesn’t result from just being smart, accomplished or talented. Ideally, start early in your career to plan, learn and practice what will prepare you to sit in that seat one day. Plan your journey, then travel it purposefully.
Over the years I’ve had many conversations with clients and colleagues who are, or will soon be, C-suite leaders. What I have learned and others have spoken about, is that it takes a lot more than just education and technical skills to get you prepared to be a contender.
So, what does it take to move from junior ranks to the top of the org chart?
First, it is important to develop strong technical, sound business acumen and authentic multicultural leadership skills. Developing these will to help get you in the game. Then you need to develop a set of behaviors that will prepare you to be a leader. These behaviors, like confidence and courage, exhibiting Executive Presence, are a must. Demonstrating consistent excellence in these areas allows you to be “considered” for the hall of High Potentials
Executive-search firm Heidrick & Struggles examined hundreds of job profiles and interviewed numerous senior managers and identified some clear trends. One strikingly consistent finding is that today, technical and functional expertise matters less at the top than business acumen and leadership skills do. To thrive at the C-level, you must be a strong communicator, a collaborator, and a strategic thinker. In other works, technical skills will get you noticed, but it’s sound business acumen and multicultural leadership skill that open the door.
And then there are the 15 things no one tells you about that are a must – to do consistently throughout your career
These 15 actions items are compiled from women who have reached the C-Suite. I have separated them into two sections – things to do for personal development and then actions to increase your visibility/brand with others. This week I will share the 8 personal development action items. Next week I will share 7 items to help increase your visibility and improve your brand.
Start doing these now. If you are early in your career, plan how you will do these consistently. Make them a habit. If you are well on your way, you probably are doing most of these. Revisit the list and see if you need to tweak how you are doing these.
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- Get plenty of experience and credentials in your field of expertise. Create a track record that shows that you are credible and competent.
- Ask for lateral moves in your company to broaden your expertise and company knowledge. Understand how your work ties to the bigger business picture. Know your industry and your company’s customers. Keep up with what’s happening on the competitive landscape. It is important to keep stretching and pushing yourself and not remain in your comfort zone. Acquaint/reacquaint yourself with risk-taking.
- Make lots of mistakes, learn from them and don’t let them destroy who you are. These learning experiences will help you grow as a leader and prepare you to handle complex situations the higher you move up the organization. Recognize that taking risks, and failing, is part of success. Look at the failure as dispassionately as possible–and start to examine it for valuable lessons. Try not to make too many Career Limiting Moves (CLM’s) e,g. being the one known for gossiping and telling stories about others, thinking that having casual hook ups with a “boss” will get you respected as a future leader, following senior leaders who are lying, cheating and not acting ethically. While a few CLM’s provide opportunities to learn and to strengthen your values, too many will give the perception that you are not competent, ethical, honest.
- Develop strong personal networks both within and outside of your organization. Use social media sites to keep connected to everyone. Have lunches, join industry associations and attend workshops with peers from your field of expertise. You should be adding at least 50-75 new business contacts a year. Create “Brand You” on social media, a strong presence that clearly describes your expertise, strengths and motivations. Be mindful that no one works alone and few achieve success by flying solo. Who are your allies? Your adversaries? What alliances are critical? Who can you help? Who will promote your ideas? Who are your mentors and sponsors? Find a small group of people whom you can confide your aspirations. All of these people are in your support system and your network. Build, grow, and feed, continuously. Prune as needed
- Join cross-functional teams. An example is a marketing specialist working with a finance and engineering team to resolve excessive customer returns. This exposes you to the bigger picture to understand how a company functions, it’s culture and the systems to achieve or prevent the achievement of its goals.
- Go to your boss or a Human Resources (HR) partner. Tell them that you see yourself as a future senior leader. Ask what specific qualifications are needed to be considered for a high potential, mentorship or sponsorship program. Then create a plan to reach those qualifications. If an MBA is a requirement, find out what your company offers in tuition assistance, then plan how you will work and get a degree at the same time.
- Ask your boss or HR partner what it takes to get promoted or a make a job change. Make sure that you know what the exact requirements are. Then tell them that you are the ideal candidate because of x, y and z. Do this many times throughout your career.
- Ask your boss or Human Resources department/partner about leadership development programs. Take every workshop that is offered within the company. Attend online and public workshops outside of your company and continue to learn and keep current.
“LinkedIn surveyed 954 professional women in 2013. Only 25% had asked for a promotion. 75% of those got a promotion.”
To be continued. Look for the next 7 action items our next blog.
In the meantime, which of these action items will you set as a goal?
