In many cases, where the growth has been rapid, I notice a certain “drag effect.” This effect comes from my clients’ inability to let go of the behaviors that worked for them well in their past roles, but are now getting in their way for further growth. As one progresses through the management ranks, how they are measured to assess their readiness for promotion to their next level changes at each level. There is also a phrase that has been coined to describe an executive’s effectiveness in their role and to define their readiness to move to the next level. Some call it executive intelligence, others, executive presence. The reason for this blog is to articulate some characteristics of this attribute and to provide guidance for those, who are ambitious enough to embrace this advice.

Executive intelligence or executive presence is an attribute that allows a person to think beyond their raw intelligence (IQ) and indulge in a realm of critical thinking to grasp and understand concepts that are difficult to logically synthesize. For example, a person with good executive intelligence is able to see things that are not obvious to others and articulate a point of view that makes others think differently; to see around the bends in a way differently than others.

Raw IQ is helpful in making arguments, developing ideas, and in debating a point with others, but translating those ideas into results is something that requires a very different skill. Executive intelligence or executive presence is understanding the difference between the two, and using it to mold your ongoing behavior to be seen as someone ready for their next promotion. So, what are some of the key attributes for being seen as ready for your next executive role? Here is my partial list:

1. Self-awareness: As you grow inside an organization how you are coming across to others and what is expected of you to be seen as a worthy member of the club of your peers is a good start. While you are at it positioning yourself as someone, who is exhibiting the behaviors and traits at a level above you will help you accelerate your advancement to that next level.
2. Building relationships: As your stature rises in your organization, you are increasingly exposed to political shenanigans. One way to deal with organizational politics is to always do great work (a’ la deliver what is expected of you, and then some) AND to manage key relationships. So, if you foresee any resistance to your ideas, do not have a showdown in a big meeting to win the battle, but anticipate this and meet in-person to win them over beforehand. Socialize your agenda well before it gets in the psyche of others at some major event.
3. Learning to conceptualize: As one gets promoted to greater responsibilities it becomes nearly impossible to keep track of details. Learn how to conceptualize complexity and how to articulate that in simple, elegant way. Verbalizing such concepts is one of the most difficult—and rare—executive skills. It is also a learned skill. Yet another skill that goes well with this ability to conceptualize is to learn how to be laconic, especially in meetings with your seniors.
4. Anticipate: One of the key requirements of senior executives is to be able to see around the bends and to create a compelling, cogent point of view. In many instances this ability is what saves a company from economic ruin and keeps it ahead of its competitors. Having a track record of progressively showing yourself as a winner, who can anticipate what is coming, and then delivering on that vision is a prerequisite for executive success.
5. Inspiring Teams: Bringing on board great talent, inspiring them to act, and empowering them to take risks and succeed is one of the most coveted executive skills. So, show that you have built a great team that can deliver and that can come through regardless of what challenges you face. Also, knowing how to manage such teams to keep them engaged and loyal to you is also a critical executive skill.

By no means this list is complete. It is a good start to inventory your executive skills and to assess if you are ready for your next executive promotion.

Good luck!

This article addresses the age-old problem of how to position yourself for that promotion that you so richly deserve and to get the title that will make you proud! The following suggestions may be helpful for those who need to know how to navigate through the promotion maze.

Be clear why you need the promotion. If you merely want a fancier title on your business card for prestige, you may not really need a promotion with all its responsibilities. Likewise, if you want to be promoted solely to earn more money, that, too, is a different matter. Either of these parameters can be more easily accommodated than a job promotion.

1. If you want a “fancier” title, see if you can negotiate with your boss to get it just for your business card. Some companies allow their employees multiple titles: a person functioning as a senior software engineer may be responsible for a project or a program. See if your boss will let you get business cards with “Program Manager” as your title.
2. Career professionals often underestimate the demands of a promotion. Before the promotion, everything is viewed through rose-colored glasses. In most cases, responsibilities increase exponentially with authority, and those who do not see the liability that it can create often lament the promotion. Then they look for ways to revert to their previous status – a difficult move that can damage an otherwise good career.
3. Before pursuing the promotion, visualize yourself performing the job that the promotion offers-not in the way the incumbent is doing it now, but the way you would do it. This may place unexpected demands on you that may shift your work-life balance to your detriment. Carefully review the implications of that shift.
4. A well-written quote by Emerson is often a good reminder when contemplating a promotion: We judge ourselves by what we are capable of doing; others judge us by what we have already done!
5. In promoting someone to the next level, the employer is taking some risks. It is best to evaluate what potential risks the employer perceives in your case. This can be done with a discussion with your manager. Not all risks will be openly discussed. But, the ones that are discussed must be addressed in a serious vein. Asking your manager what you need to change to assure that you are aware of the risk, and are willing to work on it to mitigate it, can be a good start.
6. If you want to be promoted to the next level with its title, then you must make that intention clear to your manager and state why you deserve the promotion. Your argument should be based not on mere performance superiority, but on how your being at the next level will benefit the company. Find out what makes for an effective candidate in that position and start being that person well before you start making a case for the promotion. It is much easier for your boss to formalize your role if you are already functioning in that capacity. This role-assumption has to do with the strength of your leadership, not your ability to bully those around you. The best kind of promotion is that which, when announced, does not surprise anyone.
7. Those who are considered for a promotion (especially at executive levels) display a good balance between the “three Qs.” The IQ, your Intelligence Quotient, pertains to your job skills  and content knowledge. The EQ, your Emotional Quotient, describes your self-awareness and how you relate to others. The PQ, your Political Quotient, is your ability to deal with critical situations. PQ has little to do with playing politics.
8. A related issue is your self-image. This is the package that you represent. If you consider yourself worthy of being part of the group to which you will belong, once promoted, you must be able to identify with their common characteristics and represent those norms. You cannot be an aberration. Senior executives often retain image consultants to help them.
9. One key factor in promotional consideration, especially at higher levels, is your ability to conduct effective meetings and to persuasively articulate your views. If you find this daunting, you may have to wait until you are able to master this skill. Public speaking and effective communication are related skills. Joining Toastmasters International, or participating in a communications workshop, can be a good way to learn how to do this well. Your company may already have such courses available for you!
10. While you are positioning for the promotion, do not lose sight of your current responsibilities. You must deliver on your commitments in addition to playing the higher role until your promotion is formalized.
11. When you are positioning for the promotion, do not forget that you will continue to need your colleagues’ support in your new role. If you trample their sensibilities in the rush to get your promotion they can easily sabotage your success once you get there. This can be career suicide.
12. If you are currently able to “lead” your peers, you already are being seen as their leader. Do not bully them to exert your will. That will backfire.
13. The best way to get into your boss’s job is to move them up. For them to move up, you must make them look good to their superiors. Openly discuss with your boss what you might do differently to make this happen. Develop a highly trusted relationship with your immediate superiors.
14. Increase your visibility throughout the organization and the company. Attend outside events that showcase your company. Present at some well-attended conference or event, or moderate a panel with industry leaders. Volunteer to participate in activities where higher-ups normally gather, and mingle with them with effortless ease.
15. One of the most difficult promotional “rungs” is moving up from being an individual contributor to a first-level manager. Most professionals assume than doing a great job in their role as an individual contributor entitles them to that all-important promotion. Nothing could be further from the truth. Managerial functions are quite different from that of an individual contributor. A manager is responsible for four critical functions: Lead, Plan, Organize and set up Controls. The manager’s role is at odds with that of the individual contributor, although having a good understanding of technical content is very important for the first-level manager. To be a candidate for consideration, the individual contributor must show aptitude for these functions.
16. The best time to bring up your intentions for getting promoted is at the time of the annual performance review. Explore with your immediate supervisors how they see the possibility and ask them what you might do differently to achieve that brass ring. This is a good way to establish your candidacy. This does not mean that your efforts should be episodic. You must think, act, and project as if you already are in that role with constancy, without turning off those around you-your colleagues.
17. In some companies promotions happen at regular intervals, between annual reviews. Keep your manager (and others) apprised with weekly and monthly progress reports highlighting your achievements, identifying where you might need help in your ongoing success. This discipline will help you especially when there is managerial turnover.
18. Whenever the opportunity arises to represent your superiors, go for it. Introduce yourself by saying “I represent the engineering department” on such occasions. If this happens often enough, others in those circles will remember you as someone already working at that level. Now you become a shoo-in for that promotion. In such meetings, you must show your complete loyalty to your boss, even when you may disagree with their decisions privately.
19. You are psychologically ready for the promotion when you are able to have an easy conversation on any topic (not just work) with the person at least two levels above you. In addition, not being intimidated by executives at any level can further fortify your candidacy. This is a learned skill.
20. If senior executives, as a group, come from a different national culture, understand their needs and expectations through their cultural norms. Establishing ethos with those belonging to a different culture can accelerate your candidacy. This understanding must be developed in a subtle, caring way. Likewise, showing ignorance or indifference to cultures can be detrimental not just to your promotion, but also to your career.
21. One of the key ingredients for success at higher levels is having a unique perspective. This means developing an ability to look at a situation and confidently being able to give your own assessment without being intimidated or bullied by others at levels much higher than yours. Having a clear vision on how you would make things batter and having a strategy that goes with that vision can help drive your success.
22. Seek yourself a mentor or a professional career coach who can give you objective feedback and round out your skills as a manager at the next level of responsibility.

Getting promoted to the next level is not a spectator sport. You must jump into the arena and compete fiercely with others to get that brass ring. Now you know how!

There is absolutely no reason why you cannot manage your own career through a series of preemptive actions. Most complain about how stultifying their jobs are, how they have reached a glass ceiling, or how insecure their boss is and how he is holding them back. Then they let each one of these factors militate against their career to let it take its own course. Most are far more comfortable being a victim of their circumstances than they are being a victor. Because to move from being a former to the latter involves taking charge of your situation, taking some risks, and then acting on the plan that you set out to execute.

Regardless of the specifics of your own career barrier, the following prescription is offered to transform your usage of the word “career” from a noun to a verb:

1. Take a stock of what is happening and what should be happening in your career trajectory. Assess how much of the blame points inwardly; you’d be surprised what you discover if you remain objective in this assessment.
2. Shed the victim mantle and put of the victor armor. Make a list of things you must do to turn the situation around that has got you stuck. For example, if your boss is ignoring you and you are not getting any credit for you good work, take charge of the situation and write a memo to everyone in your team thanking your boss for giving you the opportunity to take on a project that you successfully completed. Send a copy to his boss and let her know that your boss is a good leader. Mention this in open meetings where your boss is going to be present. Pretty soon he will get the picture that you are there to make him look good and he will start paying attention to your needs.
3. If no one has praised you for your good work, take a random person and praise them. Praise must be specific, genuine, timely, and spontaneous. When you give this praise the recipient should light up and start telling you about their accomplishment proudly. Praise is a contagious sport; pretty soon it will boomerang back to you. If you feel shy doing this in person, do it by email or a note! The amazing aspect about giving someone praise is that the recipient assumes that you are someone important!
4. As you move up in the hierarchy what matters is the relationships you have with those around you. This is particularly important for those who come from technical ranks. They are raised in the belief that as long as their technical work is flawless, everything else should not matter. Wrong! No one likes a smart alec, but everyone finds irresistible people who make them genuinely feel worthy and good. This is the basis of establishing good relationships.
5. Set out an objective to advance your career in a measurable way. For example, if you are a senior manager vying to become a director in a year, merely doing a good job in your current position is not enough. You must become visible at the level that matters. Supporting your boss in front of their boss; becoming visible by taking initiatives and social causes that the company believes in, and so on. If you do this well, most of the people working with you will wonder how is it that you are just a senior manager and mingling with higher ups effortlessly. Once you become part of the circle in upper management you will be seen as a part of the upper management. Remember, to move up, relationships matter and not merely your competence.
6. Look for outside jobs that are one or two levels above your current title. Find what job skills you need to develop to qualify for those positions and then ask your boss for assignments that allow you to take on those opportunities. Each year proactively draft your resume for those positions and see what assignments will take you to claim that expertise. Now you are managing your career with you in the driver’s seat.
7. Learn how to look and feel important and project that image. You can influence people without authority. Understand the difference between influence, power, and authority.
8. Understand how senior executives in your company spend their time professionally, socially, and in the way that they project their image. For example, if they all belong to a certain club or a network, join that club and get in to be seen as one of “them.”
9. The best way to claim a position that you are vying for is to act as if you already are in that position and to start behaving as if you have that responsibility. Without alienating your team, show leadership that allows you to be seen as doing that role and getting everyone’s cooperation. When time comes for a promotion no one would be surprised if you get that promotion.
10. Senior managers and those in the executive suites have extensive networks. Start developing your own network of influential people and take time to nurture and expand your circle of friends and professionals. Make an investment of time every week to make this a scheduled activity in your routine.
11. Learn how to communicate effectively and to take on opportunities that require you to speak publicly. Nothing creates greater visibility than to have done well in a presentation that has public exposure. Join Toastmasters or similar organizations to ratchet up your leadership and communication skills
12. Do not wait to be assigned a project. Identify a project that will improve the company’s position and take it on. Send out a memo spreading the news of your successful accomplishment, and, once again, thanking your boss!
13. Take on someone to mentor and find yourself a mentor. Learning is painful but without pain there is no growing. Seek out opportunities to take risks and do not be afraid to fail. As Winston Churchill said, Success consists of jumping from failure to failure without admitting defeat!

Good luck!