Tips for Advancing to Senior Leadership

Are you looking to become more "senior" in your career? Here are 3 things that I (as a CEO) look for, beyond experience -- if you exhibit these, I will guarantee that your managers/leaders/CEO will see you as more senior 🌳 1️⃣ TAKE RESPONSIBILITY This manifests when someone steps up to commit to getting something done well and then follows it through. ✅ Clearly and openly vocalizing/stating that you'll take ownership of an initiative or task (and follow-up with what you need) ✅ Orienting around solutions and not problems. Yes it's hard, and there might be a million obstacles, but tell me what you propose so I don't have to take on the intellectual burden of solving it. ❌ Raising objections when an ask is made (e.g. there is too much to do) Instead ask questions on how to best achieve the outcome, what to prioritize etc. 2️⃣ BE PROACTIVE Yes there's a lot going on, but you have to make time to get ahead of communication with your peers and managers. ✅ Sending an update about progress, milestones, challenges etc. without being asked ✅ Identify upcoming risks or next steps early and offer a plan. Try to get one step ahead of the exec (what will they think/ask next?) ❌ Skirting a topic that isn't going well, or waiting to be asked about it. It's much worse to provide disappointing news after being asked, than before you're asked. 3️⃣ OPERATE STRATEGICALLY While it's important you can "do the work" it's really impactful to not waste "talk-time" with unnecessary details. Your job is to translate the high-level thinking/objectives into operational action items, but do that "offline" ✅ Prioritize the most important things to get done first (requires you really understanding exec/business priorities and impact) ✅ Hand-off things that others can do better; try to do less so you can focus on doing it extremely well ❌ Wasting time diving deeply into something over a call/thread that really doesn't matter in the grand scheme; pick the battles -- 💬 What are the characteristics that you think help make someone senior?

I’ve been promoted 11 times in 20 years at 6 companies Here’s how I did it: 1. Eliminate entitled expectations and patiently play the long game 2. Be truly exceptional in your current role - don’t underestimate how long it takes to achieve mastery 3. Clarify and communicate your long term career goals including your ideal next step  - it is not up to your manager or anyone else to do this for you 4. Demonstrate you can do the next role by taking on key responsibilities of that position - you don’t need to ask permission to solve important business problems 5. Make your manager’s life easier, become indispensable to them and seize learning opportunities to take projects off their plate 6. Lead by example by exuding optimism, assuming positive intent and helping others, especially through challenging times 7. Don’t complain and only talk about problems, design and implement solutions that drive real results 8. Act like an owner and don’t let your current job description hold you back from doing what is required for the business to be successful  9. Respond to inevitable disappointment gracefully and don’t give up  10. Choose the company and evaluate the hiring manager wisely - a great company and an invested manager are two key ingredients to create the conditions for career advancement My biggest lesson 20 years into my career: The promotions are great but don't feel as good as you think they will - focus on the journey and the process, that's the good stuff #personaldevelopment

You can't be selected ... if you aren't visible. Opportunity cannot find you when you are unseen. You cannot simply 'do good work' and 'work hard' and expect an expansion of role and income is going to be delivered to you. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 just 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 this happens when you are early on in your career and moving to a first line manager role.  But this most certainly is not the way at works at the more senior levels. Do the people in a position to award you that next up-leveled role even know you want it? How do they know? Have you told them? More importantly: have you s͟h͟o͟w͟n͟ them what's in it for THEM should you be so elevated? How easy is it for them to already 'see' you in the bigger role? You want to lead on a grander scale?  Claim your space. Develop and express your business and leadership 'point of view'. Give people a reason to follow you.  Invest in relationships, far and wide....and relentlessly.   Nurture and expand your circle of champions.   Make sure people know your name and what you bring to the table.   Seek ways to be of service to them, first and foremost. Raise your hand for the tough assignments that no one else is willing to step up for ... and DELIVER. Take a position on things. Be an active vocal contributor in working groups. Share your business-relevant observations and perspectives on LinkedIn. Be visible in industry or professional associations and events. This is a competitive world and nobody is ever going to pick you if they don't even know you exist. You want opportunity? Go take it for yourself! The time for action is now. No more hiding, no more excuses. Be bold, be visible, and opportunity will have no choice but to knock on your door. The next big chance is out there waiting. Go grab it!

"You (or your thinking) aren't strategic enough." Here are 7 actionable steps to help you address this TODAY: (Prioritize #6 - others can't read your mind) 1. Seek Specific Examples ↳How: Approach the feedback with curiosity rather than defensiveness. Ask your manager or key stakeholders for specific instances where you could have been more strategic. Frame these conversations around seeking advice rather than just feedback. Mentors can also help here. ↳Why: Helps you focus your efforts on the appropriate next step(s). 2. Understand the Business Strategy ↳How: Dive deep into your company's strategy. This can be done through reviewing formal strategy documents, participating actively in strategy meetings, or having one-on-one discussions with key leaders. ↳Why: A deep understanding of the overall strategy will provide context for your actions and decisions. It also signals to others that you are ingesting the necessary inputs. 3. Link Your Work to the Strategy ↳How: Explicitly connect your current projects and initiatives with the broader business strategy. When communicating about your work, balance the focus between immediate outcomes and future implications. ↳Why: This showcases your long-term thinking and impact, beyond what is being delivered in the near-term. 4. Scale your Work ↳How: Identify ways to expand the impact of your work, either horizontally across different areas of the business or vertically by adding more value to functions you already serve. ↳Why: Scaling your work demonstrates a strategic mindset that thinks beyond the immediate scope. 5. Propose New Opportunities ↳How: Put forward new ideas for the organization, regardless if they may be immediately pursued or not. ↳Why: This shows initiative and a strategic approach to business growth. 6. Expose Your Thought Process ↳How: When in meetings or preparing documents, go beyond presenting results. Articulate the thinking behind your decisions and actions. ↳Why: This helps showcase your strategic thinking to others. 7. Communicate at the Right Altitude ↳How: Tailor your communication to your audience, especially when dealing with senior leaders. Start with the main message ('the punchline') and the first level of detail. ↳Why: This approach ensures that your communication is concise, focused and effective in strategically aligning with the interests and concerns of your audience. PS: Strategic thinking requires mental space, create time for it in your schedule. ----- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

📌 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗧𝗠 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Are you frustrated that you can’t get to the next career level faster? Maybe it seems like the goal posts keep moving. You're not the only one facing this. Many high-achievers grapple with feeling undervalued, dealing with fears, and a lack of recognition for their potential. 💥 It's a complex gameboard where your career progression and status are continuously tested. The cost of not actively seeking that promotion? Career stagnation, untapped potential, and a drop in job satisfaction. This is where the concept of GameboardingTM comes into play. GameboardingTM is about recognizing and leveraging the unseen patterns and dynamics in your professional environment. It's understanding the hidden rules and strategic moves that dictate outcomes in your career. 📈 Only when you can read these hidden patterns can you master the game and ascend to the next level or get that coveted promotion, faster. To effectively apply GameboardingTM in your pursuit of advancement: ✔️ Pedigree: What is the word that comes to mind when the decision-makers think of you? Impact, Complainer, Disruptor? Your brand matters, at an immediate unconscious level. What to do? Craft and showcase your unique professional identity, aligning it with your career aspirations. ✔️ Performance: A CEO I coached said he makes promotions based upon the person already doing the job at the new level. Adapt, and make strategic moves that align with your promotion goals. ✔️ Political Savvy: It’s required. Your gameboard often requires more than merit to accelerate your career. Build a powerful network with key influencers and decision-makers, focusing on creating meaningful, reciprocal relationships. Remember, promotions are significantly influenced by how well you play the game of perception regarding pedigree, performance, and political savvy. Seek mentorship or coaching to provide valuable insights into navigating these dynamics, faster. Have you ever felt like you were playing an unseen game on your path to promotion? It’s Game On.👊🏻 #management #motivation #personaldevelopment #strategy #leadership #seniorexecutives

Here's the promotion strategy most professionals completely miss: being amazing at your current job doesn't automatically get you promoted. I see this mistake constantly. People think exceptional performance equals advancement, but that's not how promotion decisions actually work. Companies don't promote you for mastering your current role - they promote you when you've already proven you can handle the next level. Here's the strategic shift you need to make: Stop waiting for recognition of past achievements. Start demonstrating future capabilities right now. How to operate at the next level before you get there: 1. Think beyond your immediate responsibilities - Understand broader business challenges and opportunities. Your perspective needs to expand beyond your current scope. 2. Contribute strategic insights, not just status updates - During meetings, present solutions and analysis, not just task completion reports. 3. Communicate with next-level authority - Present solutions, not just problems. Your communication style should reflect the level you want, not where you are. 4. Take initiative on stretch projects - Demonstrate leadership capability before receiving the formal title. Show them you can handle increased responsibility. The visibility factor is everything: Companies promote people who have already proven they can handle more responsibility, not those who might be capable with proper development. By consistently operating at your desired level, you make promotion the logical next step rather than a developmental risk. You eliminate the guesswork about your readiness and position yourself as the obvious choice when opportunities arise. What strategies have you found most effective for demonstrating readiness for advancement? Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://vist.ly/3ycta #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #careeradvancement #promotionstrategies #leadershipdevelopment #careerstrategist

A bunch of people have said they love my posts/content, but they'd also like to see more advice/thought leadership from me. So here are some thoughts and advice for people at different career stages. Most of this is based on my experience in Marketing and Marketing Ops, but a lot of it could be applied to other functions as well: Early stages of your career: - Learning should be your top priority. Develop skills and an understanding of different functions, beyond what you are specifically doing in your role. - Make enough money to support your lifestyle and your needs, but don't obsess with money. You'll make plenty of money in your career if you do nothing else besides work hard and collaborate. - Seek out mentors. Internally at your company and externally. Ask them a lot of questions. Write down what they say and the advice they give and re-read it every quarter. Keep in touch with them! - In your first 30-60 days in a new job, write down 3 questions during/after every meeting. Review those questions with your manager or mentors once per week and have them provide explanations/answers. - Be confident, but don't be arrogant. I made this mistake! Middle-Management: - Develop the people on your team. Give them reasons to want to stay working for/with you. For example: Find stretch projects for them that keep them motivated. If you don't do this, you will waste a lot of time trying to hire and onboard replacement employees and will never get the benefit of having experienced/trustworthy people on your team. - Learn how to manage up. Anticipate what your leader wants/needs before they ask for it. - Be proactive and begin to build out and present plans that go beyond the next day/week/month and go beyond your core role. Develop surface level-knowledge of other areas of the business so that you can speak intelligently about those areas if/when there is an opportunity to expand your role. - Say "yes" and speak up when there are opportunities to be involved in cross-functional projects. Don't underestimate the value you bring to those projects. Functional/Departmental Leadership: - Hire and retain great managers who you can trust. This is #1 with a bullet. Meet their needs in their career and their personal life. These people need empathy especially because they are often the ones that have families or home/financial responsibilities. - Be a collaborative and enthusiastic partner to other senior level employees. Support your peers and be as enthusiastic about their wins as you are about your own and your team's. - Don't talk in "I's". At this level, success is not what you did, it's what your team did. Give them credit and talk in "We's". Tell your team to keep you honest and call you out on saying "I" too much! - Don't surprise your team. Be transparent with them. I packed a lot into this post. It's my voice but it's a little different than what I've been posting lately. Let me know what you think!

Client: I know I have the skills to do product management at the senior or leadership level. However, whenever I talk with a hiring manager, I get down-leveled after the conversation. They don’t view me as a leader. What did I do wrong? How you communicate signals your seniority. * Talk about the outcome and why, not the input. * The more you describe the “How”, the more Junior I think you are. * Become adept at speaking to the context of your audience, not of yourself. Contrast this: I am an expert in product road mapping throughout the product development lifecycle. I have extensive experience growing product teams, clarifying product vision, converting opportunities into strategy, and building cohesive plans. I have experience in documenting and evaluating decisions and running daily standups and agile release meetings. With This: I am a product leader with 10+ years of experience at consumer and Saas companies. I launched and grew a new product from 100 to 10,000 users, managing a team of PMs and 80+ xfn partners. I opened a new office for the company in New York, grew it to 40 PMs, Designers, and Engineers, and then opened another new office in Dubai. I partnered with our CPO to draft our team values, iterate on the recruiting funnel, and standardize operational forums like product and design reviews. Read more tips and examples about how to uplevel your communication: https://lnkd.in/d2qKE-hC ------ 👋 Hi! I'm Yue. Former Chief Product Officer turned career coach. My personal mission is to support more women and minorities in ascending to the C-suite. I write a weekly newsletter on career growth ✍ (https://lnkd.in/gegS9CZP), teach a course at Reforge on Breaking Through to Executive Leadership 🚀 (https://lnkd.in/dmn-PUuR), and provide 1:1 and group coaching to aspiring executives 👭 (https://www.yuezhao.coach). #womeninbusiness #womenintech #careeradvice #leadership

I’ve had the great fortune to have some exceptional mentors in my career. Like most senior execs, there’s not a chance I’d be in the position I am without their guidance and insight. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned from a few very generous mentors: 1. Details Matter – I had the opportunity early in my career to work for a young executive who would eventually become the CEO of a Fortune 100 company. During this time, I was constantly amazed at how he knew the most minute details of my piece of the business.   Back then it inspired me to be extremely knowledgeable about every aspect of my product line so as never to be caught off guard in a meeting with him. I try hard to carry that to today. 2. Integrity Matters – A tech CEO to whom I reported as VP of Marketing said one of the reasons she hired me was due to a story she was told during the reference checking stage of my candidacy. It involved a time where I refused to move forward with an initiative due to unresolved integrity issues with the folks involved in the deal. This impressed her and she always modeled this in her own leadership style. Working with her was a constant reminder to NEVER compromise your integrity. 3. Humility Matters – Another CEO to whom I reported once, after a particularly contentious senior leadership team meeting, pulled me aside and told me, “Marc, not every conversation needs to be a contest. You don’t have to ‘win’ every discussion.” That really hit home with me because, in my quest to be right, I took the debate one (or more) steps too far. I learned how to dial it down after that. 4. Curiosity Matters – One business leader I worked for at a Fortune 100 company demanded everyone on his team attend at least three professional development classes/courses every year. He wanted everyone to be as skilled in their role as possible. His theory: In a highly competitive industry, talent is the difference between winning and losing. He wanted us to always be at the top of the talent food chain. 5. Relationships Matter – Finally, very early in my career, I reported to the president of a trade association in my first management role. He taught me to go out of my way to build and maintain strong relationships as they are the building blocks of strong network. This was a concept that I had to learn at point in my career and, boy, am I glad I did! What are some lessons from mentors you carry with you? #mentorship #mentors #Leadership