LINE VERSUS STAFF ROLE

Line positions are those that are “on the front line”… they have direct contact with the product or the service provided to the customer. A line role is responsible for achieving the overall goal of the organization. Staff roles advise and assist the line roles.

Line roles are typically found in operations and sales and sometimes marketing. Some examples of staff roles are those found in the financial, engineering, information technology and human resources functions; depending upon the product produced or the service provided, there will be a variety of many other staff roles.

A CEO typically will have held line roles at some point in their career. Holding only staff roles will not, in most cases, take you to the CEO seat as a well-rounded CEO will have held both line and staff roles.

Holding a line position at some point early in your career makes finding your way through the CEO maze much more likely. And the earlier you do it, the better, because employees can become informally “pigeon-holed” as a staff person if they hold those positions too long early in their career. Having line experience is very important to keep the possibility of someday becoming a CEO open to you.

The absence of a line role is likely a significant staller if you are seeking the CEO position.

RELOCATIONS

Although picking up and moving is difficult, most CEOs have experienced the joys and pains of moving. For those individuals who are hired into a corporate headquarters it is very difficult to imagine taking a role at a subsidiary or division operation or office.

When you’re at the head office next to all of the “important” people you may not want to relocate to a place where the final decisions are not made. On the other hand if you are in a subsidiary or division office, where “all the action happens,” you may not want to relocate into what some view as a stuffy, corporate environment. Well, guess what? To increase your ability to become a CEO, you will probably need both experiences.

Most CEO’s will tell you that experiences obtained in a corporate and subsidiary environment are both invaluable. Any opportunity you have in your career to experience one or the other will not be wasted. Both will be advantageous to you in finding your way through the maze to the possibility of becoming a CEO.

Global Responsibility – As businesses are being set on more of a global stage, understanding the cultures and values of those outside of our own environment become very important in a business setting. An individual who has had experiences beyond their own familiar grounds, holds more insight of consequences of decisions made and actions taken. A lack of understanding of the global markets can cause CEOs to falter. In today’s world, almost no boundaries exist between countries for manufacturing and trading purposes. Because of this, boards of directors have more confident in appointing an individual to a CEO position if that person has had international experience.

Taking an international assignment or having responsibilities for global operations or markets can be a pivotal point in the path to becoming a CEO. When such opportunities present themselves– take them. Having such experience as part of your career assignments will likely result in you becoming a greater asset to a company. Individuals with global experience will always find themselves with a better understanding of the path to becoming a successful CEO.

In a company with a large international presence, being unwilling to relocate may be a significant staller if you are seeking the CEO position.

DEVELOPING A SUPPORTER

This is an individual who may or may not be a mentor to you. A supporter is someone who “sits at the senior executive table” and actively participates in discussions concerning succession planning.

Having a supporter is important in order for you to be considered for developmental assignments; this is a senior person in the organization who knows who you are, what your strengths are, where opportunities lie to develop your skills, your intermediate and long-term careers goals and very importantly, believes you have the ability to take on assignments with increased responsibilities. This individual is frequently at a level where mentorship is not practical on a regular basis.

How do you develop a Supporter/Promoter? The best path is to become known for your skills and your contributions. At some point, you will be in a meeting with senior executives and this will be your opportunity to shine. If you are making a presentation, practice it many times in front of someone who you trust to give you helpful feedback. If you are not making a presentation but are part of a team present in the room during the presentation, look for an opportunity to add value to the meeting without contradicting what the presenter is promoting. You do not want to be viewed as not being a team player or trying to one-up the presenter. One valuable comment is all you need to open the door. Hopefully, other similar opportunities will present themselves in the future. Some executives are open to meeting with younger employees who have the courage to ask for a meeting. If you get such an opportunity, keep the meeting short and succinct. Asking about the future direction of the company and how you can be part of it are good starters for a discussion. And periodically sending notes and scheduling follow-up meetings to the potential Supporter/Promoter are also important. But remember, in order to keep this individuals attention and be seen as a nuisance, you must be making a real contribution to the organization and become known as an “up and comer” who wants to make a difference.

The presence of a Supporter is extremely important in finding your way through the maze of options to obtain the right assignments that can lead to becoming a CEO.

BEING AN ASSET TO A MEETING

There are many ways to get noticed as a new person in an organization. Demonstrating high work ethics, producing quality work and being a good team player will always be recognized. But there is one avenue that is often overlooked by individuals; being an asset in a meeting setting.

The ultimate goal for an individual is to become an active and thoughtful participant of a meeting. Listening to and absorbing the information presented at the meeting is important but also adding your own content by asking thoughtful questions and making relevant comments makes you a valuable asset to a meeting.

Before attending a meeting, study the subject matter to be discussed and come prepared to ask questions. Remember if you have a specific question, it is likely someone else does, too. Don’t hesitate to ask it and let someone else ask your question or questions before you have had a chance to do so. Being a thoughtful and active contributor to a meeting will always be viewed in a positive light; being silent can be viewed as not having an opinion, not a positive attribute for moving up the ladder of increased responsibilities. Sometimes you will say things that might be wrong but don’t let this discourage you; it takes a lot of courage to speak up. As you have more experience in this setting, being an active participant becomes easier.

Being over-bearing, obnoxious, difficult and/or withdrawn in meetings is often a staller and can potentially be a derailer if you are seeking the CEO position. That said, there are CEOs who are so talented that their challenging behavior is sometimes overlooked but it should be noted that this is the exception, not the rule.