As an executive, you will no doubt understand this vital piece of business wisdom: take nothing for granted. It applies not only to how you run a team, department, or organisation, but also to your career – whether you’re new to C-suite roles or you’re a veteran leader.
Before carving a path to a new C-suite role, taking stock of your current brand and how to position yourself for your next role is an important exercise that can pay real career dividends. Here are a few considerations for how to do just that.
People with leadership experience are expected to be observant of the market forces shaping demand for business and their roles, but it can be difficult to keep up.
If you’ve worked hard to deliver in your current position, the daily demands of your role can sometimes narrow your perspective on where you stand in the talent market. Consider this question: Are you truly conversant with what organisations are looking for? Answering this authoritatively will involve in-depth knowledge of trends and demands in your industry, identifying the organisations where you can make the greatest contribution, and a strong appetite for energetic networking.
Use this reflection exercise to uncover any gaps in your knowledge and where you may need to do research, upskill or develop your skills in a particular way.
Beyond industry knowledge and technical expertise, today's supply chain and manufacturing leaders must be able to live with complexity, accelerate innovation, and inspire their teams amidst uncertainty. These abilities appear in the form of four key leadership traits:
Adaptability and Resilience:
Consider how, when faced with unexpected challenges or disruptive industry developments, you have maintained your resolve. How have you rallied your colleagues towards shared goals in difficult situations?
The Ability to Embrace Change and Ambiguity:
Rather than shying away from the unknown, do you proactively seek out opportunities to challenge the status quo? Reflect on how you’ve empowered your teams to embrace change as a natural part of doing business in your industry. With the vast majority of CEOs in the UK, Europe (and abroad) intending to maintain or accelerate transformational change within the next 12 months, it would be sensible to develop and highlight your aptitude for handling change when searching for a new role.
Learning from Setbacks and Failures:
Failure is an inevitable aspect of leadership, but how you respond to setbacks can make all the difference in your C-suite journey. Resilient leaders view failures not as roadblocks but as valuable learning experiences, that inform their future decisions and strategies. Think about where you have or can transform setbacks into opportunities for continuous improvement.
Executive or leadership presence entails a combination of attributes that command respect, inspire confidence, and convey authority in professional settings.
Leaders with executive presence are authentic in their interactions and stay true to their values and beliefs while setting a living example for open and transparent communication.
Consider how your professionalism, etiquette and emotional intelligence set the tone for others to follow. A strong executive presence becomes part of your brand and enables you to make the right impressions when networking, whether in person or online.
You would be wise to assume other executive search candidates who are vying for the same positions as you are directly competing against your knowledge and expertise.
To gain a real advantage as a candidate in the executive search process, you will need to demonstrate your knowledge beyond the basics (operational, financial and marketing acumen), and show a deep understanding of how the company differentiates from competitors, along with its untapped potential for revenue growth and digital transformation.
Executive search recruitment specialists are a font of knowledge and up-to-date intel on the talent market – who’s hiring, what skills are in vogue, current remuneration benchmarks, and other essential information you need to make the right career decisions.
By choosing the right executive search partner, you can develop a long and fruitful relationship that not only progresses your career but also provides you with vital support in building your teams.
To identify an effective and reputable executive search consultancy, determine if the firm specialises in your industry or has experience working with similar organisations. Industry-specific knowledge is invaluable in matching you to a suitable C-suite role. Consider whether the firm understands the unique challenges and trends in your sector, which can impact the relevance of the opportunities they present to you.
The path to the C-suite is rarely linear. It requires you as an executive to remain flexible in your career aspirations and strategies. Having a clear vision and goals is important, but successful leaders also understand the value of adaptability and serendipity in shaping their professional trajectory. They remain open to new opportunities and experiences, seizing upon unexpected challenges as opportunities for growth and development.
Ready to expand your career horizons? An executive search recruitment specialist with proven expertise in supply chain, manufacturing, commercial and digital transformation can position you for a rewarding C-suite role.
Talk to us today about how we can facilitate your next C-suite opportunity. Using our S-CAP model, we engage a range of search tools based on 20 years of experience, along with our dedicated consultancy network and alliance partners, to help you achieve your best outcome.
Working across the UK and the EU, including the Benelux region, Melium connects exceptional leaders with exemplary supply chain and manufacturing organisations. Contact us today for a confidential discussion.