Rya has had a stellar career in a multinational company. She has been working with the organisation for 18 years, was identified early on as a potential CEO of the company and has all development actions aimed at making her CEO. She was given a number of different jobs and challenges in the same function in the early part of her career. Rya was expatriated to lead a team in a new growth market.

She came back as the functional director and after a short stint, went on to lead another business function in the same company after which she was given the opportunity to become the general manager of another small market. And although she has been ‘ready’ to succeed the CEO in her home market, the company has still not made the decision to do so.

Rya’s story is one of many I have came across. Executives that have successfully climbed the corporate ladder, outlasting many other colleagues that have fallen by the way-line only to fail at the last hurdle.

Ram Charan in his famous book the talent pipeline articulates what it takes to make a successful transition. Similarly Michael Watkins in his ‘How Managers Become Leaders’ HBR article identifies 7 what he calls ’seismic shifts’ to make the transition from functional/divisional head to enterprise CEO.

Mistakes to Avoid if You Want to Transition to a CEO

From my experience and research on the topic I’ve learned that people who fail to make the transition are not able:

• Develop strong external networks and partnerships that pro-actively shape the environment
• Inspire and align diverse, large groups of people behind a common vision and approach
• Use a wide array of formal and informal influencing strategies
• Apply system thinking and integrate the collective knowledge of cross-functional groups into a coherent solution
• Be able to switch fluidly between ‘details on the ground’ and the impact ‘at 36,000’ feet
• Understand and integrate the different approaches, tools and way-of-working in functions/businesses other than their own

Early Steps to Take to Become the Leader of an Organization

To ready yourself for a future CEO position you should start your career with (as early as possible):

1. Develop an extensive external network and understand their view of the world
2. Build an extensive array of influencing strategies
3. Get exposure to other functions/businesses and if possible lead cross functional change teams
4. Constantly ask yourself what’s the impact of this activity/process on the larger whole of the organisation
5. Have a point of view about the future and don’t be shy to share this
6. Learn by experimenting and don’t be afraid to make as many original mistakes as possible
7. Get exposure to a broad range of business situations: acquisition, start-up, fast paced growth, mature market, turnaround, disposal and closure
8. Talk business and learn to speak the language of the different functions and businesses in your company
9. Hire people you trust and let them do their job
10. Learn to manage your emotions, stay optimistic and know how to keep your physical and emotional health in check

Any successful CEO will tell you it’s no easy task to lead the future of an organization, to be responsible for all the people working for your company. It’s not a job you just get promoted too, it’s one that you prepare for most of your professional life. Start early, believe in yourself and surround your self with individuals who will help you grow. Become a part of the Keijzer community and I’ll send tips for personal growth to your inbox.