Career Planning

Act
Are Like
One a Leader Before You
by Amy Gallo
May 02, 2013

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If you want to become a leader, don’t wait for the fancy title or the
corner office. You can begin to act, think, and communicate like a
leader long before that promotion. Even if you’re still several levels
down and someone else is calling all the shots, there are numerous
ways to demonstrate your potential and carve your path to the role
you want.
What the Experts Say
“It’s never foolish to begin preparing for a transition no matter how
many years away it is or where you are in your career,” says Muriel
Maignan Wilkins, coauthor of Own the Room: Discover Your Signature
Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence. Michael Watkins, the
chairman of Genesis Advisers and author of The First 90 Days and
Your Next Move, agrees. Not only does the planning help you develop
the necessary skills and leadership presence, it also increases your
chances of getting the promotion because people will already
recognize you as a leader. The key is to take on opportunities now,
regardless of your tenure or role. “You can demonstrate leadership at
any time no matter what your title is,” says Amy Jen Su, coauthor of
Own the Room. Here are several ways to start laying the groundwork.
Knock your responsibilities out of the park
No matter how big your ambitions, don’t let them distract you from
excelling in your current role. Focus on the present as much as — or
more than — the future. “You still have to deliver results in your day
job,” says Jen Su. Adds Maignan Wilkins: “You always need to take
care of today’s business so that nobody — peers, direct reports, or
those above you — questions your performance.” That’s the first step
to getting ahead.
Help your boss succeed
“You have to execute on your boss’s priorities too,” says Watkins.
“Show her that you’re willing to pick up the baton on important
projects.” Maignan Wilkins also suggests you “lean more towards yes
than no” whenever your boss asks you to help with something new.
Find out what keeps your manager up at night and propose solutions
to those problems.
Seize leadership opportunities, no matter how small
Make sure your “let me take that on” attitude extends beyond your
relationship with your boss. Raise your hand for new initiatives,
especially ones that might be visible to those outside your unit. “This
will give others a taste of what you’ll be like in a more senior role,”
says Maignan Wilkins. It doesn’t have to be an intense, months-long
project. It might be something as simple as facilitating a meeting,
offering to help with recruiting events, or stepping in to negotiate a
conflict between peers. You might find opportunities outside of work,
too. You can sit on the board of a local nonprofit or organize your
community’s volunteer day. “These activities send the signal that you
aspire to leadership potential,” Watkins says.
Look for the white space
Another way to prove your potential is to take on projects in the
“white space.” These are problems that others aren’t willing to tackle
or don’t even know exist. “Every organization has needs that nobody
is paying attention to, or people are actively ignoring,” Maignan
Wilkins says. For example, you might be able to identify a customer
need that isn’t being met by your company’s current product line, and
propose a new one. Or you could do a quick analysis of how much a
specific change would save the company. When you take on a task
that no one else is willing to do, you make yourself stand out.
Don’t be a jerk
There’s a fine line between being ambitious and acting like you’re too
big for your britches. “Don’t try to exert authority when you don’t
have it,” says Watkins. Practice what he calls “steward leadership”:
focus on what your team wants to accomplish instead of putting
yourself first. Jen Su recommends “humble confidence,” showing
appropriate modesty in your role, while having the self-assurance to
know that you will rise to the next level.
Be cautious when sharing your ambitions
It’s appropriate to raise your ambitions with your manager if you have
a trusting, solid relationship, but frame them in a way that focuses on
what’s best for the company. Jen Su suggests you lay out your
accomplishments for the past year and then ask something like, “As
we look further out, where do you see me continuing to make a
contribution?” Watkins warns that these conversations shouldn’t
come off as being all about you. Instead, engage in a two-way
conversation with your boss. If you have the kind of boss who may
feel threatened by your aspirations, it’s better to keep your ambitions
quiet and prove your potential.
Find role models
Look for people who have the roles you want and study what they do
— how they act, communicate, and dress. “Pick someone at the next
level, someone similar to you, and find a way to work with them,”
says Watkins. Volunteer for a committee they’re spearheading or offer
to help with one of their pet projects. Identify behaviors that you can
emulate while being true to yourself. “You don’t want to fake it,” says
Maignan Wilkins. It might also help to study people who are stuck in
their careers as examples of what not to do, Watkins says. Are they
clumsy politically? Do they disrespect the lines of authority? Do they
fail to make connections between departments?
Build relationships
There’s an old adage, “It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.”
When you’re evaluated for a promotion, it’s unlikely your boss will sit
in a room alone and contemplate your potential. She’ll rely on others
to assess your ability, which means you need supporters across the
organization — people who are aware of the work you’re doing. “If
you find yourself walking down the hall with the most senior person
at your company, be prepared to answer the question, ‘So what are
you up to?'” Maignan Wilkins says, “Don’t take lightly any
interactions that may seem informal. Treat every situation as an
opportunity to demonstrate the value you bring to the organization
and your knowledge of the business.”
Principles to Remember
Do:
Look for every opportunity to demonstrate your leadership
potential, at work and outside the office
Support your boss in reaching her goals
Find people in positions you aspire to and study what makes them
successful

Don’t:
Let your ambitions distract you from doing your current job well
Exert authority where you don’t have any — use influence to prove
your leadership chops
Openly discuss your ambitions — it’s safer to take a “show, don’t
tell” approach
Case study #1: Focus on solving problems, not getting promoted
In late 2010, after ten years at Citi, Heather Espinosa was promoted
to managing director. She reached this executive position by
continuously challenging herself — and by making the most of each of
her previous roles. “I’ve never been concerned with my title. When I
thought an assignment was a stretch, I took it,” she explains. “When I
applied for my previous position, the job carried the title ‘project
manager.’ But after my first conversation with the manager, I knew it
was a position that would require complex leadership skills and
challenge me, so I accepted the job.”
In each role, Heather embraced additional responsibilities without
being asked. “I make an effort to volunteer and raise my hand where I
see a need. I started taking on the responsibility of managing director
with the hope that if I performed well, the title would come.” And her
bosses have always respected this approach. “I rarely walk into my
manager’s office and say I want to talk about my career or my next
promotion. I walk in and say here’s a problem and here’s how we
might address it,” she says.
Case study #2: Take any leadership opportunity you can get
Mike Subelsky, the co-founder and CTO at Staq, a tech start-up that
makes software for digital advertising companies, spent most of his
early career in roles with lots of responsibility, but not much
authority. “I held a number of positions where I felt I had a great deal
of influence, but I was never the one calling the shots,” he says.
Still he worked hard, hoping to someday move up the ladder. “I’ve
always tried to be the kind of employee that the boss never has to
worry about,” he explains. He focused on doing the best he could in
whatever role he had, and always raised his hand for projects. He also
looked for opportunities to exercise leadership outside of the office.
In 2004, he started a nonprofit in Baltimore. “It was a great
laboratory,” he says. “It allowed me to practice being a leader.”
Then, last year, he and his partner co-founded Staq. All of Mike’s
preparation had paid off. In fact, the company received $1 million in
seed funding this past month. “I always knew I wanted to be where I
am now: I am hiring employees and creating a wonderful place to
work.”

Amy Gallo is a contributing editor at Harvard