How To Step Up To An Executive Job

I started thinking about my job objectively. Where could I have the most impact? In the weeds? On the hilltop directing the troops? Or in the cloud, where vision gets created?

I had to get to altitude. Visions are built up there, even if they get executed closer to the ground. And I could not build one for myself, my culture, or my team if I never made it that high.

So I made room. Painfully at first. I cut projects. I cleaned house in my office and my mind.

I zeroed in on the most critical goals. I gave away my favorite activities. Things that needed to happen, but did not need me to do them.

Six months in, I could walk from one end of our building to the other without being ambushed by my own to-do list. I stopped racing from meeting to meeting.

I could sit with my CEO or another leader for two hours without checking the phone.

I stepped into the Minister of Culture role we now teach others to play. That was years before the language existed.

I focused on planning and problem-solving. No papers on my desk except my own doodles. By then I understood what “getting altitude” meant. Do you?

You will not get the C-level job you want and deserve until you operate at high altitude. That means questions like “What do I want from my life and career?” and “What is my vision for myself in this role?”

C-level leaders run big chunks of an organization. They are not people who perform a function. They are people who bring a leadership perspective all their own.

Forget your credentials. Forget your network. Ask yourself: “What is my mission in my career, and in this job?” Remember that the health of your team and your organization tracks the health of you. Keep the balance.

If you want an executive job, get clear on your mission. Find your voice. Say what you mean and let the chips fall. Rising in an organization is not worth it if you have to muzzle yourself to get there.

One last thing. Only the people who get you, deserve you.