The business world is an extremely competitive environment with few and highly sought-after positions at the top. CEOs and all company executives have a wide-ranging set of responsibilities which makes it a varied and challenging job. If you aspire to become a high-ranking executive, or maybe even a CEO in the future, the following steps will help ensure that you stand out from your peers and reach your career goals.
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Do Not be Afraid to Say Yes!
The biggest mistake many people make in their careers involves letting opportunities pass them by. A new role or an extra set of responsibilities may make you feel a little overwhelmed, but such opportunities do not come along every day so maybe hesitate before turning it down.
The Harvard Business Review conducted a study focussing on CEOs who had risen quickly to their role at the top. The study found that more than a third had taken an opportunity seemingly beyond their skills or experience, which actually ended up accelerating their career path. This shows that taking chances and saying yes to challenging roles or responsibilities directly correlates with being successful in the future and getting into high-ranking job positions.
The feeling of being out of your depth in a role can seem scary but taking a bit of a risk could help you to attract attention from executives, provide you with invaluable experience in a new field, and launch your career. It will additionally help you get ahead and stand out from other colleagues who would perhaps pass up on important opportunities for fear of not being ready.
It may seem overwhelming but if it were easy, everyone would do it. Furthermore, if you find yourself waiting endlessly for the right opportunity, maybe consider volunteering yourself for a challenging role or pitching a new idea to your boss. This not only shows that you are not afraid of a challenge, but also demonstrates that you are pro-active, which is another great quality for a CEO to have. It could be the break you are looking for!
Education and Professional Development
If you want the executive job, it goes without saying that you need to have a good understanding of business and the corporate world. However, not many people realise just how important it is to constantly be refreshing your skills and knowledge. Business is an ever-changing and evolving field, with new research coming out every single day.
If it has been a while since you last studied, you may want to consider enrolling on a business course to ensure you are moving forwards in your career rather than remaining stagnant. For example, you can study DBA online at Aston University. A doctoral degree such as this is customised for future executives and provides professionals with advanced knowledge that is certain to help you succeed and achieve your career goals. You will be able to analyse the newest and most ground-breaking research which is currently having an impact in the business world.
Keeping up to date and continuing to educate yourself after your degree will also demonstrate that you have the potential to work in an executive-level role. Earning qualifications does not negate the need to gain experience working in business, but it may help to fast-track your way to the top. Hence why it is such an important step on your way to becoming the next CEO.
Furthermore, make sure you stay up to date with business news and new developments in the field you are working in. This will ensure that you stay on track to make well-informed and successful decisions that should help you on your way to an executive position in the near future.
Work on Your Leadership Skills
It’s no secret that a CEO needs to be able to lead. If you are after such a high-ranking position, you will be expected to be able to make major business decisions, manage the resources and activities of the company, and oversee teams of people. Therefore, it may be a good idea to start refining your leadership qualities to prove you would be perfect for the job.
There are so many qualities that make up a good leader, including patience, active listening, the ability to teach and mentor and many more. For this reason, may be worth looking at what qualities make a good leader to see which skills you may be able to improve upon to aid you on your path to CEO. Some of the qualities listed may even surprise you!
To elaborate, demonstrating that you can be decisive, and problem solve in difficult situations is certain to catch the attention of your supervisors. Furthermore, a way to develop both your leadership and communication skills is in attempting to influence and inspire others in the workplace. As an executive, motivating your employees would certainly be part of your role, and this in addition will help you improve your ability to work as a team and build relationships. By attempting to incorporate this into your current position, you would be actively ensuring you possess the qualities needed for your future.
Developing these skills in the workplace will also demonstrate your readiness for an executive-level role and is bound to be noticed by your superiors. If you already feel your leadership skills are up to scratch, it may be an idea to focus on building a track record of high performance within your career, so your supervisors recognise you as a driven employee who gets results. Getting noticed in the workplace for the right reasons will help you to get ahead and rise to the top of the corporate ladder.
Getting to CEO is not an easy feat and can take years of hard work and dedication, but by following these few simple steps, you are making sure you are on the right path to becoming a company executive in the future. A future where you have conquered the corporate business world is right around the corner!
