Breaking Into The C-Suite: 5+ Things You're Not Focused on Doing and How to Course Correct.

One of the burning questions in the minds of aspiring executives-is "how do I?make it into that ultimate leadership position in the C-Suite?"

When you start focusing on the possible advancement to being a CHRO, CIO,CFO, CEO, CLO, etc. and serve as a member of the senior leadership team, you will:

1) Be intentional about projects you work on.

2)?Understand if your current actions are in line with what it takes to be on the C-Suite trajectory.

3) Understand what additional outcomes, steps, learnings, and relationships you may need to consider to set yourself up to join the ultimate winners circle.

Regrettably, the path to the C-Suite?is not cookie cutter, one path doesn't fit all,? and it is not algorithmic.?And I bet there are things that you should be focusing on, but may not be.?

That lack of focus can stymie your advancement up to those special 'corner' offices!!? But it's not too late - you can focus on these things and course correct onto the path to C-Suite.

First of all - State Your Intentions - Your mind, actions and outcomes will follow suit if you confirm to yourself? that you actually understand and can(will) demonstrate what is required to serve at that level, AND that you desire the role at that level.?

Whatever you tell yourself in your mind, will generate follow up actions, which will ultimately lead to outcomes.

Is it always a straight shot? No - but you will get further than if you don't set your intentions.?

Check off those below that you are not focused on doing, but need to:? ?

________1. How You Lead: This goes beyond just managing people.

C-suite executives need to be strategic thinkers, effective communicators, and inspiring leaders who can motivate and guide their teams and influence others not on their teams!

There are at least 3 dimensions of situational leadership-head, heart, guts. All 3 are needed in business, and your judgment on how to use each is vital.

Head-focuses on strategic agility, showing business acumen, prioritization, driving for results, demonstrating a growth mindset, and continuous improvement.

Heart-focuses on showing empathy, inspiring others, teamwork and collaboration, dealing with paradox.

Guts-focuses on decision making, innovation, challenging the status quo, managerial courage, integrity & trust, organizational agility and risk taking.

_______2.? What You Know:?Don't silo yourself in one functional area.

Seek opportunities to learn about different parts of the business, and how they all work together. This well-rounded perspective will be invaluable in the C-suite. Although I was a digital leader and had to understand multiple business processes in order to digitalize them, I spent several years in supply chain while at J&J.

I also got financial coaching by my finance analyst at other companies so I learned how to read balance sheets, income statements, etc. Seek to be a T shaped leader-having broad and narrow business experience and expertise.

_______3.? ?What You Enable: The impact? you have on business? performance is important.

Your team should be inspired to deliver outcomes earlier than committed, utilizing fewer resources than planned, and with greater positive business impact than predicted. Your strategic abilities should include helping the company see around the corner, understanding competition, and market place dynamics.

Track you and your team's accomplishments and be able to quantify the positive impact you've made on the business.

________4.? How You Show Up: Your image is only partially about your physical image.

Yes,? you should observe?how the C-Suite leaders dress and groom and see how you can adopt some of the looks that align with you.?But how you show up is also about your IMAGE and BRAND.?When people know you are coming to a meeting, are they delighted, concerned or indifferent??

Your brand shows up at the meeting before you do. Do they find you insightful, funny, collaborative, inspirational, setting clear direction?? Or always late, non contributing, or blaming others? Your brand will follow you into performance and potential discussions meetings about you. Control the narrative about you.

________5.?Who You Know: Who do you know? Who knows you?? To be promoted to the C-Suite, you have to have a sponsor.

That sponsor pulls you up to being visible to other decision-makers. That sponsor has positional power, political power, experiential, power, and should legitimize your candidacy for any opportunity.? But if the right people don't know you, and you are never discussed,? you will never be considered for that special opportunity, including the C-Suite.

I had several leaders (mentors, sponsors, etc ) across Johnson and Johnson that helped me to understand what it took to demonstrate my readiness, and when the right time came, one of them sponsored me into my first vice president role.

_______6.? "Other Factors": It is a fact that there are those things called glass ceilings, concrete ceilings.

And when you have a concrete ceiling above you, like I have had, and you're aspiring to go higher, not even being able to see the opportunities or hear about them is what a concrete ceiling is all about. When you are connected to the right people, and if your performance and image is excellent, the concrete ceiling then becomes at least transparent.

And now you just have to work your way through the ceiling using the items I just mentioned.? Understand if you are facing a concrete or glass ceiling. There is something called the glass cliff, that I also had to jump off of .

You may have read about it lately with the new Boeing CEO, Stephanie Pope, a woman who has been with Boeing since 1994.?

Boeing is in a big mess, and it is often in those situations where a woman or a person of color is asked to get the company out of a mess.

That mess is usually visible, highly important, and impossible. I have had to take on impossible jobs, knowing that if I fail, I would come crashing down off that cliff,? basically killing my career.

But if I did well, it would set me up for a future opportunities. I became CIO of one of J&J companies because I jumped off the glass cliff for a project folks told me was 'impossible'.

Know how many no's you are worth. You may get offered an opportunity that you may not love, but if you say no too many times, the company may stop asking.?It is when you are in demand, that you can make demands.

Understand how you and your brand is being perceived- ask "what should I start/stop/continue doing?"

When you are seeking feedback from your boss, your team, peers and clients.?Use that information as data that you can plug back into your personal operating model, and keep leveling up.?

Create your stakeholder map of influencers. Which ones have the power to influence your career?? And which ones respect you and want to help??

The combination of those two attributes, will help you define who you should get more exposure to. Start focusing on these items, and get ready to advance to the C-Suite!?

For those that are already in the C-Suite what would you add??

As an Author, Keynote Speaker, 3x Corporate Board Member, and CEO of The Board Curators, I'm passionate about helping professional women break through barriers and achieve their goals.

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