DOS and DON’TS : On the way to the top JOB

I am following with great interest the desires of young people to get top jobs. Millennials and even GenZers are asking how and how fast can I get to the top.

I have discussed with many colleagues around the world who made it to the top their learning curves from low positions to the top. Of course, I have my own experience along that avenue.

Today, I would like to share the Dos and Don’ts that were raised by my discussion-partners with you, to help you on the way to the top job:

Act smarter, faster and broader

You have to stand out as someone who has potential. Simply put: think more, look at things from a broader perspective, share more ideas, and find smarter, faster, and more efficient ways of doing things.

Find the right supervisor

If your manager is weak, you will never advance in your career. B-class people never promote A-class people. And it is difficult to get noticed by the higher levels of management while going around your own boss.

If you want to become a CEO, behave as if you are one

Once you have already been identified as what we might call a ‘high-potential employee’, someone on the list of people being considered for future leadership, you should start behaving like a potential CEO and have the courage to distinguish yourself from your peers. But please, do so without arrogance, or acting like a know-it-all. The rule is: Don’t make yourself the best employee.

Say goodbye to your office friends

When the application period for the CEO is underway, it naturally attracts envious and jealous people. Be more introverted and draw energy from within yourself with focus on thinking, observing and reflecting.

Endure loneliness

Distance from former colleagues is part of the process. You have to be able to handle that. ‘It gets lonely at the top’ – this statement is often dismissed as a cliché. However, it describes a structural reality that has nothing to do with isolation or being disliked, but rather with a lack of equality. Every decision creates interest.

Decide faster and braver than your colleagues

The higher you climb, the more uncertainty, consequences, and time pressure surround decision making. The focus then shifts from identifying the best option to choosing between imperfect ones.

Go out and let the world inspire you

Most truly, new ideas don’t originate within the organization. They arise at the interfaces between industries, technologies, cultures, and markets. Anyone who doesn’t know the world outside won’t be an innovative manager.

Seize this opportunity

In every career, there are perhaps a dozen, probably fewer, opportunities where you can not only distinguish yourself but also position yourself with the right people: the board of directors, the supervisory board, headhunters. And at that moment, you have to say the right thing and strike a chord with the other person. Sometimes it’s a matter of milliseconds. That’s when your path is decided: do you continue climbing or are you eliminated from the race? It’s impossible to plan.

Take care of yourself

You don’t have to be pale, sick or overworked to demonstrate your full commitment. On the contrary, exhaustion makes you more defensive., risk-averse, and less clear in your communication. One misses the opportunity to qualify for the race for higher positions.

Don’t even try to deceive

Supervisory boards are becoming more cautious in their personnel decisions because mistakes are punished more severely these days. Some people I initially liked in the interviews have turned out to be autistic dictators. And anyone who talks too enthusiastically about their current job for half an hour, leaves only one conclusion: they are just there to test their own market value.

Be humble

It sounds banal, but I have experienced it all before. Even in the top league, you can’t afford to be late for an interview. One candidate recently declined a phone appointment, saying she was in the middle of a busy day. Of course, she is not considered anymore.

Be emphatic and not bold

The job of a CEO is to be emphatic towards their own organization. In other words:  he/she must be able to sense what he/she is capable of, and what not. This intuition must be demonstrated even as a candidate.

Get help

Something no one tells you beforehand. A CEO can never openly discuss doubts, weaknesses, or mistakes in this role. An independent sparring partner is needed.

Some of you may miss advises how to deal with politics, with politicians, influential business dynasties, etc. Well, those decisions can only be made after the top position has been achieved.

I sincerely wish you success on the way to the top job by following some or all the above recommendations. I look forward to your comments; contact me at [email protected] [email protected]