Securing Executive-Level Roles

June 12th 2023 | Posted by Dave

Executive positions do not present themselves very often. Vacancies at board level normally only happen when individuals choose to move on to further their career or retire. When a position becomes available, the business often recruits externally, but individuals within the organisation have an opportunity to advance if they present themselves as having executive level skills.

Ambitious individuals know the steps to take to progress to c-suite level. Taking these steps puts them on a level playing field with external candidates and enables them to achieve their career objectives.

Inspire others

People support individuals who inspire them, and leading executives are inspirational. So, it’s vital that anyone seeking a senior level career path must connect with people and enable them to unleash their potential. Going the extra mile allows people to do this and makes it easier for them to stand out from the crowd and be recognised as having inspirational leadership potential.

Seek senior level opportunities

Displaying the potential to succeed is essential for anyone with c-suite ambitions. There are several ways to do this including volunteering to work on projects with people at executive level and making a positive and valuable contribution to these projects. Ambitious individuals also seek out mentors who are aligned to their own goals and objectives. Having access to this type of relationship provides valuable insights and support making it easier to progress to executive level.

Show your value by communicating your knowledge

Many individuals believe that having years of industry experience or a degree in a relevant field is sufficient to reach the c-suite and succeed at executive kevel. However, knowledge only works if people know how to share it and provide value. This makes effective communication at all levels of the organisation an essential skill for anyone with aspirations to reach executive level.

Know where you are heading

Professionals who reach the c-suite of an organisation have followed a planned path to get there. Whichever path they take, they know how they intend to progress along that path and what steps they need to take. These steps revolve around areas to develop and enhance their skills and involve reviewing progress with stakeholders and experts along the way. A roadmap to success also includes timeframes and may involve the identification of specific sectors and roles.

Understand your strengths and which areas require improvement

No-one is perfectly engineered to be an executive. Everyone has areas that require improvement and blind spots to be identified. Individuals that achieve the most success recognise the need to identify their strengths and weaknesses at an early stage of their career, so they have the opportunity to develop and improve. They dig deep to access the best version of themselves which enables them to reach the higher echelons of an organisation.

Following this advice has enabled ambitious professionals to be competitive with external candidates and rise from within the management ranks of their organisation to reach board level and progress through a successful c-suite career.