What does it take to move from manager to C-level? Three Imperial College leaders discuss what they’ve learned about the journey to the board — and the seven questions you’ll need to ask yourself on your way…
Got your eyes on that board-level role in your five-year plan? Ready to make the next step happen? Imperial College leaders, Vice Dean of Research Professor Julie McCann, Vice Dean of Education Leila Guerra and Director of Campus Services, Jane Neary discuss what they’ve learned about the journey and the seven questions you’ll need to ask yourself to make it to the top.
Is it the right time?
For Jane, it’s never too early to start thinking about plotting your roadmap to a C-level role. ‘There are a lot of attributes that you need for this move, and they can’t be gained overnight,’ she notes. ‘You need to start to formulate your personal brand, to understand what you’re going to bring to the table — and it’s always good to start with knowing what people are saying when you’re not in the room.’ She suggests being honest about where your gaps are, appreciating your weaknesses — and importantly, having a plan as to how you’re going to fill them. For Leila, it’s vital to be clear on why you want to make the move to C-suite and where you are in your career, to understand the right ‘when’ for you. ‘What is your purpose and motivation?’ she asks. ‘If it’s just to make a lot of money or to be in a senior role, it’s likely that you will find that is not enough of a reason to succeed. Having a clear purpose and passion and a real desire to achieve impact will help you along the way, as well as keeping you going through the ups and downs.’
Am I visible enough?
To step up to C-level also means stepping forward. ‘You need to let it be known that you’re actively looking for a director’s position,’ says Jane. And you’ve got to put yourself out there — either through engaging an executive head-hunter who will have sector specialist knowledge that can help you target your strengths — or through exposure to board-level members in your current company so that you can get to know them. That can mean going to social events or sporting events or just being proactive about internal work opportunities. ‘Putting your hand up for things outside of your direct vocational area such as projects that will allow you to build transferrable skills and often give you access to more senior members,’ says Jane. ‘You can wait for your boss to recognise you, but this way you can circumvent it without upsetting your boss because you’ve just volunteered to do something perhaps over and above [your role] — and be very practical about it.’
Is this the right organisation for me?
When you’re working out whether a company is a good fit for you and your ambitions, Leila suggests asking yourself three things: Do you agree with their values? Do you agree with their vision? Do you see yourself contributing actively to what they’re trying to achieve? For her, it all comes back to your own passion and a commitment to positive impact that goes beyond profession, but made within a culture that is aligned with your needs. ‘Do your research. Go to LinkedIn and reach out to people there. See what the company posts, how they communicate and how friendly they seem. We spend so many hours in the job and it’s such an important thing to make sure the company you are going to is one that fits well with you and vice versa.’
What makes me right for this position?
‘When you look at the job descriptions and what’s needed at this level, see what they’re actually looking for,’ says Julie. ‘It isn’t just qualifications or hard-hitting, dog-eat-dog ‘executive-ness’. It’s often actually someone that people can work with; someone who’s shown interest in the company and will root for that company to the outside world. And someone that takes interest in all the people around them.’ Along with your technical expertise, proven performance and experience, don’t forget to factor in softer transferable skills too, suggests Jane. ‘These are often what get recognised in your personal brand. If you’re going to go to board level then being an inspiring leader, developing other people behind you and mentoring people are just some of those softer skills that can certainly help.’
How can I show myself fully at interview?
‘Research the panel because they’re all going to look at you through different lenses,’ says Jane. ‘It’s important to be able to build rapport with each of the individual interviewers, but also to address things from their different perspectives because finance will be wearing one hat, HR will be wearing another hat and so on.’ And make sure you have plenty of examples and anecdotes up your sleeve. ‘I don’t think you can have enough of those when you go to interviews,’ she adds, ‘Make sure the panel doesn’t just understand your expertise, but that they understand you as a person — so who you are as a manager, what your leadership is like and what judgments you would make in situations.’ Julie also recommends not wasting your valuable airtime opportunity. ‘I am often on the other side of interviews and there’s nothing worse than people padding out their answers,’ she notes. ‘I will go into any interview feeling positive, because everyone I speak to is potentially somebody marvellous for me to work with. But if they’re just filling in time, I’m just not getting to know them. So, be concise.’
Am I asking the right questions?
For Julie, quality questions are how interview panels judge how interested you are in the role and the company. ‘This is a two-way street. It’s not a case of we just want you, we have to know that you want us as well.’ Leila agrees, ‘You’re also interviewing the company; it’s a bilateral relationship and it’s your opportunity to decide, ‘Do I actually want to work here?’ This is why questions are so important.’ All agree that preparing enough follow-up questions is crucial; for Leila, a powerful enquiry to a panel might include asking,’ What can I tell you that you haven’t asked that might convince you that I’m the right person for the role? And once in role, questions continue to be your most valuable guides. For Jane, evaluating performance is all about answering the question, ‘Are you representing and serving the community on the board you’re sitting on?’ And on a personal level, she suggests regularly checking in to ask yourself ‘Are your contributions being valued and leading to changes or improvements, and therefore motivating you and giving you confidence to have new ideas?’
How can I pay it forward?
Increasing diversity on a board is everyone’s responsibility says Jane. ‘Check in with yourself around whether you’re influencing positive behaviours and ‘call it out’ if you experience anything that doesn’t fit with the values of the institution.’ It’s about driving people in the right direction and taking it slowly, she notes — ‘You can’t influence that board overnight, but you can get it to look through a slightly different lens, reminding it of the community that it is serving so that the board members can see things in a more rounded way. Leila adds, ‘The last few years have been such a learning journey for all of us to embrace perspectives that weren’t being so vocally discussed before on the board tables. Now I expect my male colleagues to be allies, for example, and if any conference or session is male dominated, that they’re the first ones to say, ‘No, this is not correct’. Diversity cannot be just about individual effort; it has to be a part of the culture.’
