How To Evolve Into A Leader From An Executive?

Find out how to deal with the two key transitions of your career and evolve into a leader from an executive.

The evolution of an executive into a leader is not easy and requires meticulous planning, constant updation of existing skills and adoption of new skills, and a vision. Taking right decisions at the right time is imperative. How do you take on the two key transitions of your career journey? Let’s find out…

Transition one: Executive to a manger

You might be a consistent performer, but that one promotion that would make you a manager still eludes you. Ever wondered what is it that you are doing “wrong”? Well, the answer to it is very simple. You are not doing anything “wrong”; it’s just that the definition of “right” has to change for you, if you plan to evolve. You need to shed your role as an executive and start doing things the managerial way. To achieve this, Blesson George, head – Business HR, Jubilant Life Sciences, stated during a TimesJobs.com chat session that one needs to un-learn and learn. “You need to come down from your frontline execution mode and showcase to your seniors that you can independently manage a project or an assignment. This way you can demonstrate your managerial abilities.”

Once you start doing things “the managerial way”, the organisation takes a note of it. George highlighted that organisations have multiple modes of assessing the potential of employees. Psychometric tests, development centres, skip level meetings and leading projects involving multiple functions are some of the ways by which an organisation can assess you. “On your part, you need to demonstrate that you are not just a doer but an enabler as well. Do keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to do so,” he suggested.

Learning from your experiences goes a long way in establishing yourself as a successful manager. During one of theTimesJobs.com chat session, Hema Parikh, director-Human Resources, Ajuba Solutions India Pvt. Ltd, stated that during your journey as a manager, every day adds to the learning experience. To be an efficient manager, you have to be a teacher and sometimes a student too.

Transition two: Manager to a leader

You evolved from a being a top performing executive to a successful manager. Now, how do you evolve from a manager into a leader? According to Parikh, the skills required to be a leader are confidence, ability to foresee both opportunities and risks and above all, strategic communication. As a leader, being optimist is very important.

A word of caution! You might be a very good and efficient manager, but that would not guarantee you a leadership position in the organisation. Organisations are aware of the fact that not all good managers are successful and influential leaders. George strongly believes this fact. “Leaders influence, while managers only manage. Leaders drive for positive outcomes, while managers may only be deriving outcomes. The differences are many. Hence, it’s safe to say that while all leaders are good managers, it’s not true vice versa,” he stated.

For leadership roles, the definition of performance becomes broader. Prashant Bhatnagar, director- Hiring and Staffing, SapientNitro India, affirmed during a TimesJobs.com chat session that it starts to include the dexterity with which you articulate a vision, influence peers and co-workers and an overall understanding of the industry landscape.

Peter Drucker once famously stated, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Always keep this in mind as you evolve, might come in handy when you need some perspective.

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