Executive potential can be realised by living up to it every day

After years of promotion, managers often find themselves in career limbo. But experts say the best way to succeed in becoming a leader is to act like one.

The Dubai International Financial Centre. Jaime Puebla / The National

You've studied hard, graduated with honours and got the dream job. You've progressed through the ranks, impressed your boss, been touted as an up-and-comer and are ready to take the next step to becoming an executive, a recognised officer of the company. What can you do to make this happen?

Michael Lynch was in his early fifties and had spent more than 10 years working as a senior manager at a top wealth-management firm in Melbourne, Australia, when he realised his dream of taking on an executive role with the company was not going to happen.

"My career started so well, then I watched as younger associates moved in and up," Mr Lynch says.

"I was busy, everyone was busy, but I made excuses to myself. I didn't push as hard as I could have.

"There was a lot of upheaval going on in the company at the time, new regulations were coming in, people were losing their jobs. I thought if I kept my head down and did a good job, it would be noticed."

Mr Lynch, fed up with the long hours and lack of recognition, finally left the firm and set up his own small business, but says there are times when he still has regrets.

"I probably should have taken a proactive approach earlier on, maybe got better advice," he says.

After years of rapid promotion and standing out, many middle to senior managers find themselves stuck in a bottleneck of other just as eager, just as bright, not-so-young things trying to grab that elusive promotion into the upper echelons of business.

How do you do it, how do you stand out, get noticed and move ahead?

Having an MBA from a recognised university is almost a requisite these days and business institutes offer many leadership and corporate governance courses to improve your CV. Then there are the dozens of websites, particularly recruitment portals, promising this elusive career advancement, but to get your CV read you first have to be noticed.

Liz Wiseman, an executive coach and author of Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, says the best way to become a senior member of a company is to act like one.

Take on the most difficult challenges, think strategically and don't look for the promotion at the end.

"A lot of executives I work with are used to very rapid growth in their career early on; they're almost addicted to the idea of promotion, but once you get to a certain level the number of opportunities for promotion are fewer and fewer," Ms Wiseman says.

Early in their careers, people get a promotion and then they take on certain levels of responsibility, but when you move into more senior ranks you have to take on these challenges first and the promotional opportunities follow, Ms Wiseman advises.

"People who distinguish themselves are those who don't look for promotion; they look for something hard that the business is trying to do and they go in and take those challenges, lead the organisation through those challenges and they distinguish themselves," she says.

"They are not doing things not to be recognised, but they are doing things because they enjoy the challenges."

Doug Lambert, a Dubai-based executive coach, says moving into an executive role takes planning and assistance.

A would-be executive should have clear career goals and the right help in meeting them.

If possible, agree on a career path with your immediate boss or human resources department.

And, most importantly, find yourself a mentor.

"It's very important to have a mentor, ideally someone very senior within your company, not your immediate boss, but someone with influence who can guide you and steer you towards your long-term goals," Mr Lambert says.

Some companies arrange mentors for their most promising employees. If this is not the case, you should feel comfortable approaching a suitable person yourself.

Let this person know you see them as a role model and would like to emulate their leadership style.

Organise regular one-to-one meetings and actively follow their advice.

Another important factor is to ensure you are replaceable.

Your current boss may not recommend or support your promotion if it is going to make their life harder.

"You must take a risk," John Reh, a US management consultant, warns on the career development website http://management.about.com.

"You must train and develop one or more of your subordinates to be ready to move up and take on your job when you leave."

Since leaving his position as a senior executive in the petroleum industry five years ago, Mr Lambert has been coaching teams of senior executives in high-profile jobs.

Although successful executives don't fit any specific profile, he says, what they all share is a powerful determination, a willingness to sacrifice and an awareness of how they operate and how their style affects others.

To achieve this, aspiring executives need to sharpen their listening and questioning skills, be able to handle conflict healthily and to give and receive feedback.

Think before you do or say anything about the effect it will have and ask people for feedback, Mr Lambert advises.

You need 360-degree feedback: from your boss, your peers, the people you report to and the people who report to you.

Ask what they like about your style and what you can do better.

Another important factor to success is the would-be executives' ability to influence.

"To move into high levels, it's essential you can influence others to follow your ideas," Mr Lambert says.

Adapt your leadership style, be proactive in influencing outcomes, second-guess challenges and identify stakeholders who can help surmount these challenges.

Most old-style executives use the authoritative approach to leading, but many experts agree the visionary or coaching style can be even more effective.

The visionary leader moves people towards a shared vision, telling them where to go but not how to get there. Similarly, by using a coaching style the successful leader will consciously empower people to think for themselves and encourage them to use their own ability.

"A great executive is less likely to give directions than to ask questions," Ms Wiseman says. "To not just solve the problems that are right there in front of them, but to ask the questions that are going to challenge the organisation and allow people to see new opportunities; to ask the questions that shift the burden of thinking from you as the manager out into your staff and into the workforce.

"So instead of having one person thinking, you have an entire organisation who are searching for answers to questions being asked by the senior leaders."

It is this ability to think holistically that separates good managers from successful executives.

"In the business world it's very easy to get bogged down with meetings and e-mails," Mr Lambert says.

"Managers think tactically, but to get on and up you have to think both tactically and strategically outside your domain.

"You have to take time every day to remove yourself from the general 'busy-ness' to think strategically.

"Don't just look at the big picture, look at the challenges work through alternatives and get solutions."

Exude positive energy, which encourages people to perform the best and be a role model for work-life balance.

"Everyone is busy, but it is important to have a life outside the office," Mr Lambert says.

"It's not sustainable to keep pushing 100 per cent all day, every day.

"This is not to say don't give your best, but be clear on what's important, prioritise time to concentrate on what's important, say no to things that are less so and you can be more productive where it counts."

Martin Bond, a former banking executive, meets successful executives every day in his role as partner of NxD Global, a Dubai-based matching-making service set up to place non-executive directors onto boards of companies.

These are executives who have reached the highest echelons of business; they are at the peak of their career and ready to diversify.

For aspiring industry leaders, a position of non-executive director is the epitome of success and, says Mr Bond, it is achievable.

His advice to the aspiring executive is don't give up.

"In any business, there's a triangle in terms of seniority," Mr Martin says.

"But always in any organisation, the right positions are there for the right individuals and people with the determination and ability will always make it to the top."