Many people enter a company with the goal of moving into leadership as soon as possible. For some, it is a good career track. For others, it would be a disastrous career move. Surprisingly, you will not always make more money if you move up. In sales, the top producers often make more money than their sales managers. It sometimes ends up being a sideways promotion. You move over to different responsibilities. But you didn’t really move up in the way you expected. Getting a promotion is not always more lucrative.
Another reason to hold off on the promotion is that you might discover you are not very good at the next level. You have had your fair share of bad leaders. You can recognize bad leadership in others. But consider the fact that you might be just as bad at that job if you don’t learn from their mistakes. It takes time and practice to become a good leader. Most of the qualities of a good leader are things you learn outside of work. If you are not a good leader in other aspects of your life, don’t expect to be a good leader at work.
That said, there are a lot of advantages to moving up in the ranks for the right kind of person. Moving up means more responsibility and fewer hours with your family. It means taking the blame for things done by all of the people who answer to you. It is often a less job-secure position than the one you left because expectations are so much higher. But if you are ready to climb the next rung of the ladder, demonstrate the following qualities.
Know when to call in help
If you are responsible for digital marketing services at your company, then you likely need more help than you think. This is a fast-moving segment that is challenging even for the people who do it exclusively. There are a lot of things to keep track of that are outside of your wheelhouse. Which digital marking products are performing well right now? You couldn’t possibly know the answer to that unless you were in the business. Which products represent a better value for your type of business? What changes should you make to your website to help maximize your marketing efforts? None of this is easy or obvious.
Beyond digital marketing, you might also need help with your online reputation. It is extremely hard to recover from repetitional damage. You can acknowledge your mistake and do everything right from that point on. But all people will remember is your worst moment. It doesn’t make sense to continue suffering losses due to poor reputation when there are experts that can help you with that problem. You just have to be the kind of leader who can admit to yourself and others when you are in over your head. There is no shame in that. The shame is in pressing forward and pretending that you have things well in hand when you really don’t.
Know how to resolve conflict
There will always be conflict in the company and on your team. There is no such thing as a conflict-free zone. Resolving workplace conflict is largely about deescalation. Small problems are a lot easier to solve than big ones. So the key is shrinking the size and scope of the problem to something manageable for all parties. Your company will look to you for more leadership responsibilities when you are able to be a peacemaker that keeps conflict to a minimum.
Learn how to identify the solution rather than the problem
Issue spotting is an important skill that everyone needs to learn. But there are always plenty of workers who can spot the problem. And they will be happy to point them out to you all day if you let them. The company doesn’t need more problem spotters. They need problem solvers. Don’t walk into your boss’s office with another handful of problems for her to solve. Walk in with a solution that takes problems off her plate. Problem-solvers will always rise to the top of the leadership candidate list.
If you are ready for all the new challenges that come with the promotion, enhance your chances of getting by knowing when you need help, being a peacemaker, and presenting solutions rather than a list of more problems.