Think you\u2019re ready for the C-Suite? Whether you aspire to the CEO, CIO, or CMO position, these 10 principles will help you market yourself in executive circles, develop an influential network, and reach your leadership goal sooner. <\/p>\n
1. Build \u201cup\u201d your network.<\/strong> Assemble a personal board of directors to tap for business advice. Look for trusted, well-respected C-level leaders who will help you formulate a strategy of progression to the corner office. If you are the leader of your professional network and are the most knowledgeable and experienced in your group, it\u2019s time to enlarge the circle of influence. \u201cYour success, not only in climbing the ladder but in building a leading company, is as strong as the people you can call upon, because these are the people who will advise you, help you out, and whom you can appoint to key positions in your company in the future. As you start to get up higher in the pyramid, you realize that your networking ability, and your worth to the entire network, is what provides the keys to the kingdom,\u201d says Bill Swanson, CEO of Raytheon (There\u2019s No Elevator to the Top, Ramakrishnan, p. 87).<\/p>\n 2. Evolve from tactical manager to strategic leader.<\/strong> Arriving in the corner office demands the vision of a \u201cbig picture\u201d person. This is difficult for entrepreneurs who are accustomed to doing every detail in the business. To grow, you will have to delegate and trust your employees to do what you\u2019ve trained and empowered them to do. \u201cDevelop a broad systems perspective,\u201d says Dr. Kim S. Phipps, president, Messiah College. Have a big picture for how your skills are developing. \u201cNever chase a position, follow a development path,\u201d says James D. Dymski, regional oncology account manager, Pfizer Inc.<\/p>\n 3. Be known for getting things done.<\/strong> Idea people and innovators are critical to the lifeblood of business, but the gifted strategist assembles the perfect team to make things happen. Be that person. \u201cIf your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.\u201d \u2014 John Quincy Adams<\/p>\n 4. Be a people broker.<\/strong> Whom do you know? More importantly, who knows you? Be sure the right people know you and know that you can be trusted and depended on in all situations. \u201cI know how important people are to your business. Whether it\u2019s on the golf course, at a sporting event, or on a board, I often refer skilled individuals to my colleagues and executive peers,\u201d says Richard E. Jordan II, CEO and chairman of the board, Smith Land & Improvement Corporation and LB Smith Ford Lincoln Mercury Inc.<\/p>\n 5. Be an expert communicator. <\/strong>Can you communicate clearly and persuasively to people? A CEO cannot do everything herself; her communication skills and \u201cemotional intelligence\u201d will be invaluable to attract an impressive and committed group of foot soldiers.<\/p>\n 6. Cultivate a reputation for a strong value system and a strong work ethic\u2014imperative qualities for the C-suite.<\/strong> \u201cWork to the position above you. People will notice!\u201d says Kelly S. Lieblein, vice president, Highmark Inc.<\/p>\n 7. Cultivate intellectual horsepower and emotional intelligence.<\/strong> Regardless of your academic pedigree\u2014Ivy, state, technical, private, community\u2014a diploma shows the working world that you can set goals and achieve them. What you do with that acquired knowledge is what really matters as you rise the ranks of leadership. Your ability to listen, persuade, negotiate, and respect others are core leadership capabilities. 9. Make time for a robust life.<\/strong> \u201cWe expect our employees to live robust lives. We want to support them in their Ironman contests, their children\u2019s sports achievements, through their Scout troops, and in their musical pursuits,\u201d says Thomas F. (Chip) Brown, president, McClure Company. \u201cIf someone has to lose their marriage to be successful, then I don\u2019t want to be a leader in that organization. And I don\u2019t want to create a business environment that requires those sort of trade-offs,\u201d says Walter Bettinger, CEO, The Charles Schwab Corporation, (There\u2019s No Elevator to the Top, Ramakrishnan, p. 161).<\/p>\n 10. Accept responsibility and have a deeper concern for being respected than for being well liked.<\/strong> The best leaders engender significant respect and support from their employees, not by leading with consensus, but by leading with decision-making authority. \u201cTo me consensus seems to be: the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values, and policies in search of something in which no one believes, but to which no one objects; the process of avoiding the very issues that have to be solved, merely because you cannot get agreement on the way ahead. What great cause would have been fought and won under the banner \u2018I stand for consensus\u2019?\u201d says Margaret Thatcher (The Downing Street Years, p. 167).<\/p>\n Start your high-gear strategy today by initiating a conversation with the most successful business leaders in your region. Do not underestimate the power of a personal introduction, a sincere handshake, and an opportune business relationship.<\/p>\n \u201cOur doubts are traitors, William Shakespeare, \u201cMeasure for Measure,\u201d Act 1 scene 4 Think you\u2019re ready for the C-Suite? Whether you aspire to the CEO, CIO, or CMO position, these 10 principles will help you market yourself in executive circles, develop an influential network, and reach your leadership goal sooner. 1. Build \u201cup\u201d your network. Assemble a personal board of directors to tap for business advice. Look for … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[137,60],"tags":[327,329,328,326,332,330,26,333,331,103],"class_list":["post-528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-all-posts","category-annedgallaher","tag-actions","tag-advise","tag-aspirations","tag-c-suite","tag-network","tag-qualities","tag-reputation","tag-strategic","tag-traits","tag-trust"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=528"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":529,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/528\/revisions\/529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesocialcmo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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\n8. Gain a solid financial understanding.<\/strong> Understand the bottom line, and how to read balance sheets. Understand profitability and cash flow, and how to reach maximum productivity for your department or company.<\/p>\n
\nAnd make us lose the good we oft might win
\nBy fearing to attempt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nGreatest English dramatist & poet (1564 \u20131616)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"