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Welcome to part 5 of my 6-part Success Series, where I tell the stories of managers who find themselves facing difficulties during their climb up the corporate ladder. The Success Series is dedicated to your success, with the hope that you’ll use these stories as a source of strength as your make your way towards the corner office.
This week, I’d like to share the story of Rob who was having trouble reflecting on his management style until he made an important discovery.
"You just need to be more effective.” I had been hearing this sentence from my boss for over a year now. It was one of the many examples of goals for employees in performance reviews that kept echoing in my mind. I had been vying for a promotion and had felt comfortable enough to let my boss know, even preparing my resume for internal promotion. Every time I hinted at it, though, I was met with the same sentence. I finally sat down with my boss over lunch one day and asked him what he meant. He told me that by being more effective, he meant that I needed to make decisions faster, sometimes even sacrificing the full consensus of my team members. I couldn’t believe my ears. How could I disregard my valuable team members? It had been through my intensive team building efforts that had made us so cohesive, let alone developed my reputation as a well-loved manager.
I had heard about Etika from a colleague and decided to make an appointment with her. After a quick chat about my frustration, Etika explained to me that every manager has what’s known as a “dominant management style” and that on one hand, this is what has led to my success so far, while on the other, it can actually squash any further potential - even with such a successful resume for internal promotion. It was really interesting to hear all of this and it somehow gave me hope that maybe by developing my potential, I would be able to, in my boss’s words, be “more effective”.
I asked Etika how I can find out more about my management potential. She sat me down in front of a computer and had me fill out a questionnaire. After analyzing the results, she showed me both my dominant and potential management styles. More importantly, she remarked that my dominant management style was keeping my potential management style from developing. This all started to make a lot of sense to me and I realized that all that I had to do was to “make room” for my potential management style. I promised Etika that I would work on this and thanked her so much for sorting things out for me. I was determined to make a significant change. Etika smiled and let out a slight chuckle. I looked at her a bit confused and she answered that there’s quite a difference between knowing that you have to do something and actually doing it. She wished me good luck and I was on my way.
Rob spent the next week writing a list of ways to develop his potential. He even made a list of key websites and books that he would be sure to consult as he embarked on his journey.
Rob realized the importance of identifying his dominant and potential management styles. It’s the first step towards meaningful change.
Do you know your dominant and potential management styles? Leave a comment below.
And always remember:
Great managers are made. Not born.
Welcome to part 4 of my 6-part Success Series. In this series, I profile managers who’ve faced some rather difficult career challenges. I share these stories to show that what you are experiencing is common among many managers who are journeying towards the corner office - and to encourage you not to give up.
This week, I’d like to share the story of John, a super successful sales manager, who couldn’t understand what he was doing wrong.
I had just come out of my last performance review pretty down and out. My boss couldn’t stop praising my achievements last quarter, especially the fact that I had met all of my sales goals - certainly a great way of how to measure success at work. I was sure that this was going to result in her offering me a promotion. But just the opposite happened. Instead, she told me that I was not going to be up for promotion for the following year. I was flabbergasted. How could it be that I am doing such a good job yet ineligible for promotion? When I asked her this, she said that I am not quite ready for more managerial duties and that I needed to carry on in my present position for the time being. How could this possibly be? For years, everyone has been telling me that I am wise beyond my years. None of this was making sense at all.
I decided to let the dust settle for the rest of the week. Over the weekend, I called one of my old college buddies and told him about the performance review. He was just as surprised as I had been, especially regarding how to measure success at work. So he suggested that I get in touch with Etika. If there was anyone who could help, she could. I wasn’t sure about this. After all, it was my boss's poor judgement, not my issue.
Reluctantly, I made an appointment for the middle of the following week. When I made it to the top of the stairs and entered Etika’s office, I was met with an array of mirrors - each one reflecting a slightly different image of me. Some of them were pretty funny looking. I navigated my way through a couple of more mirrors and was then greeted by Etika. After introductions, she offered me a seat and asked me what I thought about all of the mirrors. I told her that it reminded me of the house of mirrors at an amusement park. She pressed on, asking me to think about the meaning behind all of these funny images. I wasn’t sure where this was going, so she explained. She said that these reflections represent how others - especially those in charge of promoting me - might see me. She explained that it was important to identify the aspects that people see as hindering my ability to function in a more senior position. Also, it’s important to see how some of the things you see as advantages might be perceived as disadvantages to others. This last sentence got me thinking. Sometimes, I am so goal oriented that I take over projects, leaving team members behind. In this way, I don’t really delegate tasks, teach my team members how to overcome challenges. I guess that this is why I hadn’t been considered for promotion.
I decided to give Etika a try. After about a year and a half of hard work, people started to see me differently, wondering how I’d made such a 180 degree change. Needless to say, I was promoted during that time and have been promoted again since then.
John changed the way he thought about “success” and therefore was able to make the changes needed to modify his management style.
Have you ever reconsidered what it means to be successful? How might it have influenced your career goals for a manager like yourself? Leave a comment below.
And always remember:
Great managers are made. Not born.
Welcome to part 3 of my 6-part Success Series, where I feature managers whom I’ve helped overcome tough career hurdles. I hope that these stories inspire you to begin the journey towards your corner office.
Lisa had always been a go-getter when it came to climbing the corporate ladder. Eyeing her next promotion, she turned to her boss for guidance.
I was always taught to manage my own career - to be proactive - not to wait around for some big boss to recognize me and hand me an opportunity on a silver platter - even though this was only my first managerial job. With this thought in mind, I went into a meeting with my direct supervisor, who had asked me for a quarterly budget update. After our discussion of this quarter’s numbers, I asked if she had a few more minutes to talk. She agreed and I told her that I admired her very much for her own climb up the corporate ladder and wanted to know about other factors affecting career development. She thanked me for the compliment and said that it’s important to always take charge of things, stay engaged with the company’s overall strategy, and to keep developing my curiosity. Then she urged me to get in touch with Etika, whom she promised would help me work towards tempting career advancement. My boss knew what she was talking about, so I took down Etika’s number.
As I left my supervisor’s office, I thought that maybe it might be a little too premature to try to fast track my career. Could this be a mistake? Perhaps I needed more experience in my current role.
That night, I went out with some friends for after work drinks. One of my colleagues introduced me to someone who said that he had just been to see Etika and that things looked very good. I knew that this person and I were at the same managerial level, so I thought to myself that it probably is a good time in my career to meet with Etika to explore factors affecting career development. After all, I always did see myself as proactive when it came to my career.
When I finished climbing the stairs to Etika’s office, I was greeted with the famous mirrors that I had heard and read about. I knew that each mirror provided a slightly different reflection of me and that I should take into account that I am perceived differently by the people around me at work.
A door opened and Etika appeared, greeting me warmly. She began to ask me about my impression of the mirrors and I told her that I already had heard and read about the story behind them. She smiled and asked me what the mirrors meant to me. I told her that the experience of seeing so many different versions of myself was thought-provoking - but I didn’t really know where to go on from there. I started to tell Etika why I had come but then had trouble in that department as well.
I explained to her that I didn’t have a specific issue that I was grappling with - much like many of the people I’d heard and read about who felt “stuck” in their career. She then asked me what, in any case, brought me to see her. I still wasn’t able to put my finger on anything specific, but one thing was certain: I wanted to get to the corner office as quickly as possible. Etika responded that this was an excellent reason for us to meet.
We sat down and Etika asked me about myself, my management style - it’s good and not-so-good points. She listened intently without interruption. Then, she sat me down next to a computer and had me fill out a questionnaire. My answers would not only help identify my dominant management style but also to what degree this style might be preventing my potential from developing - something that would be important for getting to that corner office.
The results showed that my dominant style is what’s known as Producer, which is actually very advantageous when it comes to getting things done as quickly and as effectively as possible. However, as I would grow and develop in the company, being just a Producer could hinder my ability to work with larger teams in bringing in results. This could be a real career-stopper and it was important for me to develop my potential management style as well.
I asked Etika if she thought that it was important for me to begin this change now - after all, I had a long career ahead of me and maybe working with her would distract me from my present duties. She told me that it was up to me. We could either continue with the process now or I could go back to my job and give her a call when I was ready.
I genuinely wasn’t sure what to do. Etika said that we could possibly begin slowly. The advantage was that it would be easier to make the changes because I was just at the beginning of my career and my management style wasn’t quite “set in cement” as it might be with more senior managers. I took a few days to think about it and then came back to Etika to get down to work.
About nine months into the process, my immediate supervisor called me in for a meeting. I was sure that she wanted to review the quarterly budget. Instead, she told me that she and some of the other managers had noticed a change in me. They saw how well I was managing team members, ensuring that everyone understood their role. My boss said that this was what she’d meant by “taking charge of things”. Then, to my delight, she offered me a promotion, effective the following month.
Since then, three years have passed and I am the CFO of a large company, slated to take the CEO’s seat in two weeks.
Have you begun your journey towards developing your career path? Leave a comment below.
And always remember:
Great managers are made. Not born.
Welcome to part 2 of my 6-part Success Series, where I introduce managers I’ve helped get through some of their toughest career challenges. It’s my wish that these stories encourage you to believe in yourself as you move towards your own corner office.
This week, we hear about Melanie, who was pretty sure that she had exhausted any possibility of improving herself as a manager.
I had been sort of a “frequent flyer” when it came to self-improvement seminars and workshops. You name it and I had been there - even down to learning how to write about career goals and memorizing job promotion interview answers. After several years of trying to be a better manager, I found myself exhausted and confused. How could it be that with so many hours invested in self-improvement, I was still stuck when it came to being an effective manager? Maybe I wasn’t as talented as I had thought - and maybe this was the highest rung I’d reach on my career ladder.
I was lamenting all of this over a cocktail with my long-time associate when she suggested that I make an appointment with Etika. Etika was known for getting managers out of ruts - never an easy process - but doable. I had tried so many things in the past, so I thought what do I have to lose, and decided to give Etika a try.
I must say that after wasting so much time and effort on self-improvement, I arrived at Etika’s office pretty skeptical, but I said to myself that I had to make one last concerted effort to become a better manager.
Etika greeted me at her office and offered me a seat. After a bit of small talk, I began telling her about all of the seminars and workshops that I’d attended the last few years. At the most recent one, I had received a guide on how to write about career goals and a list of things that any manager who wants to implement change must do. This list, compiled by the lecturer, included the habits of the world’s top 100 managers and, if followed, would guarantee managerial success. Being as determined as I was, I had made every effort to follow this list, day-by-day, week-by-week, and month-by-month. However, I had begun to feel that it was difficult to keep up these habits and little-by-little, I had fallen back into my previous habits. Etika wasn’t surprised. She explained that it’s very hard - almost impossible - to turn yourself into someone else. What we can do, she said, is to improve ourselves in certain aspects.
I asked her what aspects she was referring to. She gave me the example of a manager who prioritizes a company’s procedures over the bottom line. While the procedures might be important, if they lead to a loss in the company’s income statement, then they should be changed. The change that a manager can make in this case is to critically examine the rationale behind company procedures and to analyze why others might not follow them. In this case, a manager is “giving room” to an alternative way of doing things, thus helping to create a more well-rounded manager. And of course, this isn’t about imitating someone else. It’s about developing something that’s already inside you. Then I began to realize the mistake I’d been making all along. Change must begin with who you are and not who you think you should be. It was time to get to work.
I spent the next three years with Etika, working on developing the management potential that I’d had all along. I’m happy to say that I now have the job of my life.
Melanie’s most important discovery was that real change wasn’t about following someone else’s formula for success. It was about discovering what she already had inside her and developing it.
Have you discovered your hidden potential? Leave a comment below.
And always remember:
Great managers are made. Not born.
Welcome to my 6 part collection of posts that I call the Success Series. Each post will tell the story of a manager I’ve helped overcome a crucial career hurdle. I hope that you’ll draw inspiration from these stories and will begin paving your own way towards the corner office.
This week, I’d like to present the story of Jane, who had been passed up for promotion twice. Like many of the people I’ve worked with, Jane was failing to reflect on one of the most important factors affecting career development - the image she had been projecting to others at work.
It was the second time that I had been passed up for a promotion. I was really confused - why was this happening to me? I was both disappointed and frustrated that I really didn’t know how to move on - what were the factors affecting career development? Associates of mine who had been successfully moving up the career ladder recommended that I get in touch with Etika. Honestly, I was hesitant, as I was sure that none of this could be my fault and that the best thing to do at the time was to leave my current job and seek greener pastures. When I told all of this to a friend of mine over a drink one evening, he urged that I heed the advice of my colleagues who had met with Etika - so I made an appointment for the following week.
At about 7 pm one evening, I walked up the stairs leading to Etika’s office. When I entered the office, I was slightly taken aback - I suddenly found myself surrounded by what seemed like dozens of mirrors - just like you see in a house of mirrors at an amusement park. Trying to find my way to let Etika know that I had arrived, I peered into one mirror, then another, and so on, realizing that each mirror revealed a slightly different of image of me. When I managed to find and meet Etika, I asked her what the deal was with the strange entrance to her office. Rather than answering me, she asked me to think about the reason for the mirrors. I wasn’t sure, so she tried to help me a bit by asking me what I thought might be the reason why each mirror reflects a slightly different image. I was still clueless. She told me to compare these mirrors to all of the people whom I work with - colleagues, subordinates, and bosses. Each one sees me differently from each other as well as from how I see myself. I was starting to catch on, but was still a little confused. If everyone sees me differently, then how in the world would I be able to influence how they see me? This was just my point - wasn’t this just a hopeless mission? I thought to myself that coming here really was a waste of time. But then Etika said something that caught my attention. She said that if we can identify the things that people see in us, then it does open for us some kind of avenue to be able to influence our reflection. I wasn’t really convinced, in fact I was rather skeptical, but being an open person, I was willing to listen a bit more.
Well, this “bit more” actually continued for just over a year - a year of self-reflection and hard work, mind you, but completely worth it. Within that time, I finally achieved that tempting career advancement and four years later, I made it to the coveted corner office. What’s the big secret? It’s those mirrors that I told you about - they’re always with me to help me along.
Jane finally realized that self-reflection is key to understanding how others see you. It paid off for Jane and will pay off for you, too.
Have you become more aware of the image you project to others? Leave a comment below.
And always remember:
Great managers are made. Not born.
Over 200 studies in the last decade reveal that most mid-level managers believe their corporate development career path hinges on their current performance. They are certain that in appreciation for a job well done, they will be rewarded with a promotion. But unfortunately, the numbers tell us something else - a shocking 70% of these managers will never get promoted, despite their outstanding achievements.
It’s this surprising statistic that has fuelled my 35 year interest in researching and working with managers at their most critical points in their corporate development career path.
You’d think that with 35 years of experience, I would’ve come up with 5 - or even 10 - of the leading reasons managers get kicked in the pants. What’s more, top management journals have been chasing me for years to compile such a list.
But here’s the thing: There is no such list. Why? Because each manager is different. And because of this, the reasons they’re not getting promoted are different. (Find out your reasons by answering this short questionnaire.)
The good news is that as soon as a manager realizes there’s no magic list, they’re already on their way to finding out why they really got rejected.
To help managers get going, I’ve developed a quick, accurate tool to discover the true reason why they were turned down. My tool starts by asking managers to answer a brief questionnaire. Based on their responses, they receive a short, no-nonsense report revealing the true reasons they haven’t been promoted - reasons no one else has ever bothered to tell them.
And, as well all know, understanding what’s wrong is the first step in fixing it. Armed with the results of their questionnaire, managers will finally have the chance to take the reins of their career, and bee line towards that next promotion and coveted corner office.
And always remember:
Great managers are made. Not born.
This is my final post in my 5-part series on taking control of your career. In this post, I’ll be reaching out to Entrepreneurs. (Check out my previous posts on Integrators, Producers, and Administrators).
Every organization has an Entrepreneur. They’re the ones who come up with all of the cool ideas at meetings. And on top of that, they can take someone else’s idea and generate dozens of interesting projects at the snap of a finger.
Entrepreneurs are naturally admired and valued. They minute they embark on their corporate development career path, they are constantly busy figuring out ways for their company to innovate and expand. And they excitedly jump into new areas, taking their teams on journeys to the novel and exciting.
But the creativity doesn’t stop there. Entrepreneurs become known for meeting challenges with out of the box solutions, making their presence vital at strategy meetings. So no one is surprised when a young Entrepreneur is promoted to middle management, along with the promise of free reign to explore and test out new ideas. A true corporate development career path dream for any Entrepreneur.
And the dream goes on for the next few years. The Entrepreneur is busy at work, helping to move the company into unexplored territory. And at some point, there’s talk of a senior management opening and the Entrepreneur is sure that’s it’s theirs for the taking.
Except that it’s not. That promotion ends up being given to someone else - someone less creative and even a bit younger than the Entrepreneur.
What’s happened? Has the Entrepreneur done something wrong?
Well, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword here. The company was indeed very happy to have the Entrepreneur’s team always coming up with innovative ideas. But not all of the ideas were actionable.
Unfortunately, the Entrepreneur had never bothered to take note of the impractical ideas and instead concentrated on generating new ones. In other words, the Entrepreneur failed to learn about the less creative sides of management - approval processes, budget allocations, and resource development - to name a few. And without a thorough understanding of this less glamorous side, an Entrepreneur can just remain that - a mid-level Entrepreneur.
So if you see yourself as an Entrepreneur, do yourself a favor now. Leave your brainstorming aside a bit and begin showing interest in the administrative aspects of managing. For example, learn how to put together formal proposals or how to allocate resources to projects. This might not seem as interesting as other tasks, but they will be the key to your next promotion.
Remember that only managers who are perceived as well-rounded will make it to the corner office. It’s time to become more well-rounded.
And always remember:
Great managers are made. Not born.
Welcome to the fourth post in my 5-part series on taking control of your career. In this post, I’ll be providing advice to Administrators. (Check out my previous posts on Integrators and Producers).
Are you an Administrator? If you work according to the following beliefs, chances are that the answer is “yes.”
Clear planning is necessary to achieve success.
Order is the backbone of any worthwhile results.
An organized team is a winning team.
For Administrators, there are general guidelines for how to measure success at work.
Administrators are often praised early in their career for their commitment to orderly planning and organization. Before taking on a new project, Administrators ensure that all resources are available and that a clear project flow is in place. Then they meticulously plan the stages of the project, carefully integrating the use of resources along the way. Projects begin on time and are completed either on or ahead of schedule. And Administrators can report progress down to the minute at a moment’s notice. Such criteria are clear for how to measure success at work, making Administrators a dream come true for many complex organizations.
As such, Administrators are often promoted to middle management positions rather quickly. In these new roles, they further develop ways to run projects efficiently and on time, many times exceeding expected results. Team members usually feel secure under the care of Administrators, as there are generally no surprises.
Unfortunately, though, sooner or later, Administrators find themselves surprised as they see other colleagues being promoted, while they are left behind.
And when they investigate why they’re being passed up, promotion after promotion, they often get rather shocking feedback, such as:
“You’re not flexible enough.”
“You don’t seem to be able to roll with the punches.”
“You rarely look beyond the specific projects you’re running.”
While these are just examples of statements Administrators might hear, they all point to one thing: too much energy is spent on organization, processes, and procedures. But the important message here is the subtext: more effort should have been made in developing and practicing skills such as brainstorming, team-building, and improvising.
But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. No one is looking for a 180 degree change. The message here is that these less-developed skills should be worked on alongside the natural strengths of an Administrator. In this way, Administrators are then viewed as more well-rounded and - more importantly - poised for handling the unpredictability of any corporate environment.
So if you are an Administrator, take a close look at yourself and build a plan to develop the skills you’ll need in the future. And the next time a promotion opportunity comes up, it’ll be all yours.
And always remember:
Great managers are made. Not born.
This post is one in a 5-part series explaining how middle managers can determine their own career destiny. In my first post in this series, I introduced the danger of becoming too specialized and in my second one, I addressed the challenges facing Integrators (read my second post in this series to learn about the four management types). In this post, I’ll be focussing on Producers.
Many successful managers, early on in their corporate development career path, are recognized as Producers. Companies benefit from these quick-thinking, fast-acting talents that are true go-getters.
Producers hunger for challenges, which they take on with seemingly endless enthusiasm and energy. They dedicate themselves and their team to meeting these challenges day and night - never resting until completion. Nothing keeps Producers and their team from producing results. To maintain such high standards, Producers are involved in every bit and byte of their team’s projects, oftentimes providing real-time, hands-on guidance. Team members feel professionally supported and supervised down to the last kernel. As such, they are expected to give it their all to meet project goals.
Early on in their corporate development career path, Producers often boast a record of accomplishments that even rivals some of the company’s higher-ranking managers. Producers never seem to tire - and their teams are right behind them. So when an opening comes along for a mid-level go-getter, the Producers are the first in line - and the first to win.
And the beat goes on. As mid-level managers, Producers gain the power and wherewithal to identify and pursue even more ambitious goals, leading their teams to results the company had only dreamed of. And as time passes, Producers view their next promotion as their next critical goal.
But actions speak for themselves, right? With the track record of a Producer, that next promotion is just a matter of time. So if Producers keep their head to the grindstone, the promotion’s in the bag.
The big surprise is that the promotion never occurs. Yes, opportunities keep coming along, but it’s not the Producers who get them. Why?
Here’s the story.
While the Producers were hard at work tackling one goal after another - and of course perfecting their fight - they failed to develop some other essential qualities needed for more senior positions. For example, their drive to meet targets at all costs came at the expense of properly training and developing their teams. And their determination to deliver results quickly resulted in their turning a blind eye to important corporate policies. And by just concentrating on their goals, Producers end up gaining the reputation of being a “one-person show”. Who would want a “one-person show” as a senior manager? That’s right, no one.
So here’s what you should do if you’re a Producer:
Expand your horizons. No, I don’t mean take on more projects. What I do mean is try to develop the skills you’ve been neglecting over the years. For example, when was the last time you made sure you consulted with more than one or two members of your team? Or really sat down and thought about corporate strategy and how to improve it from a managerial perspective? And here’s the hardest one: have you ever just let your team carry out a project without your constant input?
Sure, these less familiar situations might be hard to digest, but they will help you become a more well-rounded manager - a manager worthy of achieving the coveted corner office.
So no resting on the laurels of your past achievements. It’s time to make it your primary goal to find out what competencies you need to develop and begin working on them now.
And always remember:
Great managers are made. Not born.
In my last post, I explained how your current competencies could actually be working against the career goals of a manager like yourself.. In this post, I begin a four-part series, which will teach you how to take hold of your career. But as we all know, one size does not fit all - especially when it comes to advice.
That’s why, over the years, I’ve worked according to four different managerial styles. While there are individual variations, most managers can classify their managerial style into one of four types: Integrator, Entrepreneur, Producer, and Administrator. Fred, from my previous post, is known as an Integrator, as his greatest talent is building and managing teams. Here are the other three: Entrepreneurs are always looking for new growth opportunities; Producers are extremely bottom-line oriented, and Administrators are whizzes at developing and enforcing corporate policy. In this post, I’ll be talking about how an Integrator can achieve the career goals of a manager - ensuring a sustainable career.
Integrators are love at first sight for most companies. Within a very short time of being hired, they are well-liked by others and begin building a following of people who will do anything to please them. Given Integrators’ success with people, they are able to form teams almost effortlessly, while miraculously keeping everyone happy and committed. Integrators preach and practice their belief that teams must be both well-informed and satisfied. As such, all projects have an “open door” policy so that everyone is invited to project meetings. At these meetings, Integrators always insist on complete consensus. So before making any decisions, team members always hear each other out and have a chance to comment. But it doesn’t stop there. Integrators believe that keeping a team together means being available for any concerns team members might have - professional or personal - day or night. Integrators and their teams truly have it all.
So it’s no surprise that somewhere between 3-5 years down the road, good Integrators are usually offered a promotion, based on their superior reputation at building and handling teams. Entrusted with new challenges and the authority and resources to meet them, Integrators continue to ride the wave of success for another three years or so, eyeing their next promotion on the horizon. But not without hard work. During this time, Integrators are busy perfecting their team-handling skills to a fine art. They are second to none.
So one day, when a promotion opportunity is announced, Integrators see their name written all over it and of course apply for the position. With such an exceptional record, they’ve got it in the bag, right?
Wrong. They’re actually turned down. Here’s why.
Remember the Integrator’s policy of total team involvement? Insistence on consensus? 24/7 availability? These were appropriate when the Integrator was a junior and even a mid-level manager. But developing this mindset came at the expense of taking on other essential skills, such as initiating multiple projects, making quick decisions, and being decisive.
So while many Integrators might earn a stellar reputation as team developers, they often become known as the source of bottlenecks when it comes to implementation.
So what should Integrators learn from this?
If you’re an Integrator, you must develop skills outside your comfort zone. Yes, use your relative advantage when it comes to building and managing teams. Yes, nurture the relationships you have with your staff. These will allow you entry into the club of potential candidates for promotion. But don’t forget other skills that might not come as naturally to you, for example: making critical decisions on your own or putting forth policies that might not be favored by team members. It is only through ensuring your well-roundedness that you will be seriously considered for senior positions.
So don’t get off track. Identify what you need to get better at now and begin working on it today.
And always remember:
Great managers are made. Not born.
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