What are the skills I need to land a VP role and beyond?
And how can I strategically work on developing them?
Careers are deeply personal; most executive career advice isn’t. Crux is here to help.
Ask a Career Coach
I've been at my current company (a Fortune 500 consumer goods company) for five years now—I joined as a Senior Manager and was promoted to Director three years ago. I enjoy the role and the management opportunity (I oversee a team of 10) and can see myself staying there for a while.
My direct boss is relatively new to the company, and while she’s a great manager, she’s not a mentor figure who can help me get to the next level—the Senior Director and VP roles I’d like to target in the coming years. I’d like to ensure I’m continuing to develop professionally in a way that will ensure I can get there, but I’m not quite sure what that looks like. Beyond specific job skills, what are the traits, qualities, and experiences I should be seeking that will position me for senior leadership roles? And how can I work on developing them?
In the midst of a career turning point or crisis? Crux wants to help. Send us your question to be answered (anonymously) by a career coach in an upcoming newsletter.
A Career Coach Says
First, congratulations on your success thus far and your desire to develop yourself. This shows that you have the humility to know that improvements can be made—a crucial trait of successful leaders.
This is a very personal process. Your first step is to gain better awareness of what areas are most important for you to grow. What personalized strengths would you be well-served to nurture and cultivate? This is far more useful than my answers on general traits and qualities.
The best way to do this is to ask those around you—both formally and informally. It can be difficult to ask for feedback, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Plus, it shows confidence and builds trust with others.
The key is to ask in an open-ended way that comes from the assumption that there is definitely something that you could be doing better. It’s important to receive it well, stay open-minded and curious, and reward the feedback by letting them know how it helps you.
You can also gain valuable self-awareness insights through assessments. I went through a voluntary 360-degree assessment process with my first executive coach, and to say it opened my eyes is a gross understatement. It started a journey of finding greater self-awareness and led to my becoming a far more authentic leader.
Your company may offer leadership strengths assessments, as well as leadership development and coaching—often, employees don’t realize they are there for the asking.
With all this said, here are the top qualities on my list of what makes a great leader:
Integrity (exhibiting strong ethics in all of your actions)
Authenticity (if you are not showing up as your true self, that shows to others)
Creating a culture of candor in your team (which leads to the best quality work and innovation)
Insatiable curiosity about people, strategy, and problem-solving
The ability and discipline to turn insights into action
Finally, keep in mind that mentorship can come from many places and in many forms. Look for people who are great at what you want to accomplish. This can be colleagues, other senior leaders in your company, or people in your network.
There is a phrase that applies well here: “If you’re looking for advice, ask for help. If you are looking for help, ask for advice.” Approach people by saying, “I really admire your (X quality), and I would love to get some advice and learn from you—could we find a time to do so?”
You mention that your boss is not a mentor figure, but you do say she is a good boss. What are the things that you admire about her? Perhaps you can seek mentorship in those particular areas. It could strengthen your relationship and make it clear that you’re interested in advancement and improving yourself to be ready for it.
If you take this type of approach with several leaders, you’ll likely learn a lot, and you may find that mentor relationships and even new opportunities develop organically.
Most importantly, continue to seek self-growth as part of your career journey! I have every confidence that your future will be bright.
Meet the Coach of the Week: Jessica Harley
In her own words:
I’m an executive-turned-coach who has served at the officer level for organizations ranging from multi-billion-dollar Fortune organizations with tens of thousands of employees to seed-stage and venture-backed technology startups. I bring to my coaching an understanding of what it takes to succeed in both environments.
I work with ambitious executives and teams to unlock their brilliance and potential, to identify and move beyond what is holding them back, and to create paths toward greater performance and satisfaction.
Interested in learning more from Jessica? Connect on LinkedIn or book a free consultation session.
Jessica’s Go-to Resources
What We’re Thinking About This Week
How we can show up for our Jewish and Palestinian colleagues
…a good reminder that it’s worth quitting a job, relationship, or hobby that’s no longer working
In the midst of a career turning point or crisis? Crux wants to help. Send us your question to be answered (anonymously) by a career coach in an upcoming newsletter.