Essential Career Steps to Elevate Your Leadership Role

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Katie Leimkuehler, ACC, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

Making the leap from manager to executive is one of the most exciting — and challenging — career transitions. While both roles involve leadership and decision-making, executives hold broader strategic responsibilities that require a different set of skills, experiences, and perspectives. If you’re aiming for the next level in your career, here’s a guide to help you navigate this transformation and set yourself up for success.

1. Shift Your Mindset: Think Strategically, Not Tactically
As a manager, you’re accustomed to overseeing day-to-day operations, solving problems, and ensuring team productivity. However, as an executive, your role will focus more on high-level strategy, long-term goals, and overall company vision. To prepare for this shift, start thinking beyond the immediate needs of your team. Begin asking questions like:

-How does my department’s success align with the company’s overall strategy?
-What industry trends should I be anticipating to stay ahead of the competition?
-How can I contribute to shaping the company’s future direction?
-Start viewing challenges from a broader, organizational perspective and embrace strategic thinking to position yourself as a future leader.

2. Expand Your Network
At the executive level, relationships are everything. While you’ve likely built strong connections within your team and department, executives need to work across departments, with board members, investors, and other influential leaders. Networking becomes more critical as you move up the corporate ladder.

Take steps to broaden your professional network by:

-Attending industry conferences and leadership seminars.
-Actively engaging with senior leaders both within and outside your company.
-Seeking out mentors who are already in executive roles to guide you through the transition.
-Developing a robust network of influential professionals will help you gain insights, opportunities, and support as you progress in your career.

3. Broaden Your Skillset
The skills that make a great manager don’t always translate into effective executive leadership. While managing a team requires interpersonal skills and an eye for detail, executives need a deeper understanding of business operations, finance, and leadership on a larger scale. Consider these areas to focus on:

-Financial Acumen: Understanding financial statements, budgets, and how to drive revenue growth is crucial for executives. If you’re not already comfortable with financial concepts, now is the time to learn.

-Leadership Development: As you move up, you’ll need to lead multiple teams, departments, and sometimes entire business units. This requires advanced communication, conflict resolution, and decision-making abilities.

-Innovation and Change Management: Executives are often at the forefront of driving innovation within an organization. Develop your ability to lead change initiatives and implement new strategies that push the company forward.

-Pursuing relevant certifications or advanced education, such as an MBA or leadership courses, can help broaden your expertise and increase your credibility.

4. Learn the Art of Delegation
As a manager, you might have been accustomed to being hands-on and directly involved in your team’s daily work. But as an executive, your time and energy need to be spent overseeing the bigger picture. Delegation becomes more of an art form at this stage.

Focus on:

-Identifying the right people to take on tasks you previously handled yourself.
-Trusting your team to handle operations while you focus on strategic decision-making.
-Providing guidance without micromanaging.
-Mastering the art of delegation is essential for ensuring the company runs smoothly while you focus on leadership and innovation.

5. Communicate Your Vision
Executives must inspire others through clear and compelling communication. This skill will be crucial when you’re tasked with aligning your team, board, and the rest of the organization around a shared vision. To develop this ability:

-Sharpen your public speaking skills. The ability to deliver persuasive presentations and speeches to key stakeholders is invaluable.
-Be transparent and authentic. Open, honest communication fosters trust and encourages collaboration.
-Frame challenges as opportunities. Your team needs to believe in the vision you present, so focus on how obstacles can be overcome with innovative solutions.
-Articulating a compelling vision for the future of the company and rallying support from all stakeholders will be central to your role as an executive.

6. Embrace Risk and Drive Innovation
At the executive level, the stakes are higher, and decision-making requires a higher tolerance for risk. You’ll need to make bold decisions that shape the company’s future. This could involve investing in new technologies, expanding into new markets, or implementing drastic organizational changes.

Start thinking about ways you can:

-Take calculated risks that benefit the company’s long-term goals.
-Encourage innovation and foster a culture of experimentation within your teams.
-Challenge the status quo and explore new opportunities to maintain the company’s competitive edge.
Being willing to step outside of your comfort zone and make tough decisions will position you as a dynamic and forward-thinking leader.

7. Stay Focused on Continuous Learning
The business world is constantly evolving, and executives need to stay ahead of industry trends, new technologies, and leadership practices. The most successful executives are those who embrace continuous learning and self-improvement. Whether it’s reading leadership books, attending seminars, or seeking feedback from peers, always make time for personal and professional growth.

Seeking Support on Your Executive Journey

If you’re serious about making the transition from manager to executive, you don’t have to do it alone. The Executive Leadership Center offers comprehensive programs and coaching to help you develop the skills, mindset, and network you need to succeed at the highest levels of leadership.

With tailored coaching, hands-on training, and access to a community of seasoned leaders, the Executive Leadership Center can support you every step of the way. Whether you’re refining your strategic thinking, expanding your leadership skills, or learning how to lead in times of change, the Center provides the resources and guidance to help you unlock your full leadership potential.