Moving Up the Chain of Command in your Organization

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

?

In my workshops, trainings, programs, and publications (such as this blog!), I focus on giving people the information and tools they need to become stronger people leaders (and be prepared for moving up the chain of command). The wide range of leadership topics I cover includes giving feedback, servant leadership, time management, effective delegation, and many others.?Mostly, I select my topics and themes based on my own 20+ years of experience in corporate leadership. At the same time, though, I also listen to what my clients tell me, and I constantly develop new presentations and articles in response to their needs and feedback.?

?

To that point, since the beginning of this year, I’ve had a few clients ask me, “I am interested in moving up the chain of command in my organization. How can I make that happen?” That is an excellent question indeed!? Let’s delve into this in a bit more detail. Now, to determine if you’re ready to keep moving forward, let’s start by identifying the different levels of leadership roles and their responsibilities.?

?

Congratulations! You’re a Director Now!

?

People don’t get promoted for doing their jobs really well. They get promoted by demonstrating their potential to do more.

?

When we talk about upper-level management, managers don’t make it onto that list. Don’t get me wrong: manager is definitely an important leadership role! But it’s generally one that is comparatively narrow in scope, and for many people it’s as high as they go up the ladder. Managers are key to the running of any business, but they aren’t usually involved in long-term planning that affects lots of people throughout the organization. For that reason, I consider the director role to be the first step on the path to top leadership.?

?

?

The primary domain of the director is people leadership. Directors play a critical role in overseeing the people management and project management that are critical to actually getting the work done. In addition to managing teams and projects within a department (and occasionally collaborating cross-functionally), a director tends to have the following other responsibilities on their plate:

?

• Translate strategy into execution. Directors generally don’t develop strategy (that responsibility lies with people higher up the chain of command). Rather, their primary role is to implement the large-scale plans that others create.?
• Focus on operational improvements and efficiency. Even though they aren’t engaged in high-level decision making, directors still have plenty of authority to shape the policies and practices that inform how their teams work. They’re empowered to give their staff the tools they need to get their jobs done (as long as those changes don’t violate the company’s at-large policies or interfere with other teams’ ability to do their own work).
• Develop team members and manage performance. In the upper-leadership chain, directors are the people who have the closest contact with non-management staff. They’re the ones who know best what these employees are doing—what their day-to-day tasks are, what challenges they face, what their potential is, etc. For that reason, directors are best positioned to offer feedback and coaching to their employees, to assess their performance, and to help them grow.
• Communicate clearly, concisely, and persuasively. When you’re giving your people direction, you want to be sure they know exactly what you expect from them and how their work contributes to the organization’s goals. In order to guide their employees’ work, directors must be great communicators.?

?

In short, directors ensure that their teams and departments deliver the results that the people up the chain want to see.

?

So, You Want to Be a Vice President?

?

You were hired because you met expectations. You will be promoted if you can exceed them.

?

Once you’ve reached the director level, how do you know when you’re ready for the next step??

?

First, if you have set your sights higher and are confident you can get there, don’t rush. I mean, if it’s clearly the right moment for you to take the next step, by all means do so. But if possible, take the time to learn as much as you can in your current position. That knowledge will help you a lot as you advance—and it might be harder to obtain later when you’re busy fulfilling the responsibilities of higher roles.?

?

Second, see if you have what it takes for a more advanced position. Simply feeling “ready” for your next role (or feeling bored in your current one) isn’t enough. If you’re a director looking to move into a vice president role, you must be able to do the following:

?

• Think strategically. Unlike directors, who are called on to carry out someone else’s strategy, someone who advances to a vice president (or higher) role owns and drives the strategy for a business unit or major function. That means they have to adjust their focus to encompass not just how and why but also what’s next.
• Influence across departments. Once someone moves past the director level, they won’t just be managing their own team or department. Instead, they’ll be in charge of multiple groups and responsible for aligning them to company-wide priorities. That expanded oversight requires them to be adept at understanding how all of the organization’s parts fit together.?
• Develop leaders, not just employees. Unlike directors, who focus on employee growth, vice presidents focus on employees-into-leaders growth. They aren’t just looking to help people reach their individual potential; they’re also thinking about the organization’s long-term health in terms of succession planning and future leadership.
• Understand the business impact of decisions. When someone is one of the people crafting policies whose effects can spread throughout the entire organization (and possibly have even father-ranging impacts), they had better know what they are doing. (You don’t mess around with the health of your organization without understanding how your decisions affect its revenue, profitability, and competitive positioning within your sector!)
• Exhibit strong people skills. To be fair, this skill is essential for any leadership role from managers on up. I’m mentioning it here, though, because in order to fulfill the responsibilities at this level, you need to be able to communicate the mission to people from diverse groups across the organization (different teams, departments, divisions) and inspire and engage them to work toward the organization’s goals.

?

Once you have all your ducks in a row—in terms of skills, knowledge, and attitude—then you’re ready for your next advancement opportunity!

?

Moving Up to the Top!

?

No one succeeds without effort.?.?.?.?Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance.

?

When you make it to the C-suite, you are at the pinnacle of the organization. Sometimes, a promotion to this level comes with a reserved parking space and a corner office (for those heading back to the office). Those are nice, but the most important benefits of reaching this position are the opportunities to make a larger mark on the organization.?

?

Not just any talent will do, though. Someone who is entrusted with make-or-break authority and decision-making power needs to have a very specific skill set:

?

• Deep understanding of business strategy and financials. In order to make high-stakes decisions, C-suiters need to know how every single thing that happens with the company affects its bottom line.
• Holistic perspective. C-suiters aren’t siloed in departments or divisions but instead operate at a company-wide level. They must be keenly aware of how different parts of a company (and different companies) influence each other, and they always look for ways to stay informed about and shape those interactions. Their job isn’t to drive departmental success but to achieve organizational goals.
• Visionary thinking. People who reach the C-suite have an excellent grasp of the big picture. They must understand their organization, industry, and general market and the potential paths for all of them and then make decisions to guide their company in this context. All of this information—and their own creativity and ability to innovate (and motivate others to innovate)—comes into play as they set the company’s long-term vision and direction.?
• Social and networking acumen. As a member of the organization’s topmost leadership team, a C-suiter is one of their company’s primary representatives. Not only are they the company’s authority in interactions with other members of the organization, but they also have to manage relationships with investors, board members, and key stakeholders.?

?

The journey to the top isn’t an easy one—and not everyone who starts this trek will get there. Sometimes people find that they are happy to stop somewhere along the way, and sometimes even those who want to advance just aren’t able to. There are so many variables involved (you, your bosses, your colleagues, your rivals, economic factors totally outside your company, etc.) that it’s impossible to say that building up this skill set will absolutely guarantee you a key to the C-suite. But if you have your sights set on a position at the top, the only way you’ll ever have a chance at it is if you conscientiously work toward having the skills you’ll need there.

?

Laying the Groundwork for Your Next Move

?

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.

?

?

No one jumps from the ground floor to the top of the org chart. (Well, no one who doesn’t have an extraordinary stroke of luck or who isn’t leveraging some pretty powerful personal connections, that is!) Most of us have to work our way up—and that’s not a bad thing. The journey up the ladder gives us time to learn along the way, to appreciate the support we get from others, and to constantly reassess (and recalibrate, if needed) our goals and our plans to achieve them.

?

Use the information I’ve presented here as a “roadmap” to help you plot your own route up the leadership chain. If you find yourself unsure about how to build a skill you need for the next level or stuck at making progress, look through my blog archives for posts that address the topic you’re struggling with. Another possibility is to leverage your connections by asking people you know for advice or by finding a mentor to guide you. (I also offer coaching and training to help you get over those hurdles!)

?

Remember, people aren’t born as leaders—they grow into those roles. If you conscientiously work toward building out and honing your skills, expanding your experience, and taking advantage of the opportunities for growth and support that you encounter along the way, you will eventually attain the position you want.

How did you know when you were ready to move up to the next level of your career? I’d love to hear about your own advancement story—please share it in the comments below!