Do You Have What It Takes To Succeed As An Executive?

Many professionals aspire to top-level executive positions, but unfortunately the majority may not be prepared for the obstacles that stand in the way of success. In today’s most accomplished companies the principles of good leadership need to be learned and honed by managers who want to succeed in high-level positions, obtain peak performance from employees and drive business, says Leonard Posey, senior vice president and general manager of leading career services company Lee Hecht Harrison’s Parsippany, NJ office. “Leadership is a learned skill and it takes time,” says Posey. “One should not plan to try to simply learn it on the fly after being promoted.”

It is in this spirit that the experts at Lee Hecht Harrison offer solutions to the four major obstacles of making it to and succeeding in a top-level position:

— Having a wealth of technical skills but lacking the necessary people skills for the role. Often people will be promoted because they are great at what they do, but may not be ready for the complex demands of leadership. Coaching or mentoring can alleviate this problem.

— Having the degrees but not the requisite leadership experience. You come to the table with an impressive education, but may still not be prepared for an executive position. Get experience volunteering in the community or a professional organization.

— Lacking sufficient visibility within your organization. Professionals who want to be promoted must be proactive — volunteer for task forces and committees that are visible to senior management.

— Looking for immediate compensation without focusing on the big picture. Reward the successes of your team members in addition to concentrating on your own. The definition of a leader is someone who also brings others to their greatest level of achievement.

For more information at http://www.lhh.com