6 – Periodically perform a Gap Analysis
As Marshall Goldsmith says “What got you here, won’t get you there”! You may need a different set of skills to perform at the next level. Given the dynamics of the marketplace, you may often have to look way out into the future i.e. beyond the skills that your Boss possesses. These skills may also encompass areas beyond your traditional area of expertise or job function. Remember that ‘soft skills’ become increasingly critical as one moves up the corporate ladder.
7 - Develop an Executive Presence
Executive Presence is often an intangible confluence of attributes such as poise, dress sense, body language, vocabulary, tone, confidence, inspiration, maturity, humility, grace, knowledge, wisdom etc. All your future stakeholders i.e. Board, Clients, Leadership, Team should ‘feel’ that their interests will be ‘safe in your hands’. You can leverage a combination of mentors, coaches and consultants to achieve this ability, over time.
8 – Track Potential Opportunities
The CxO slot ahead of you often opens up on account of retirement / major illness / bereavement / conflicts with stakeholders / market dynamics. Keep track of all such factors that could trigger off ‘succession planning’. Remember to maintain visibility and rapport with key stakeholders at least every quarter, to maintain ‘top of mind recall’, as a potential in-house replacement.
9 – Transform the Orchestra into a Symphony
The Orchestra is your network of supporters amongst Clients, Peers and Team; the score-sheet is your ‘track record’ – you will most likely be able to leverage all of them concurrently only once during your career with this organization – utilize the ‘orchestra’ wisely. Remember, ‘timing’ can make the difference between success and failure in your attempt to move up the ladder.
10 – Wow them all in the ‘First 100 Days’
Quite often, organizations announce that an Exec will play the role of an ‘interim’ CxO until a new recruit comes on board. This is often a 3 month window of opportunity, to turn the ‘interim’ position into a permanent CxO job. Leverage proven strategies such as ‘The First 100 Days’ by Michael Watkins of Harvard.
Source : DSD Email Group
