Roccio asks: How can I reach a C-Suite position?
There are a lot of factors that are going to come into play regarding who a company hires for the top job. I have hired for CEO, CFO and COO, as well as heads of major departments, and the criteria can vary dramatically. However, I have always seen each of these three factors considered:
1 – Bottom line impact
If I’m dealing with a fast growth company, they are going to specifically be looking at revenue generation. They’re going to want someone who is comfortable with adding to the top line. Companies in turnaround situations are going to prioritize someone who has had turnaround experience, so the cost side of the equation is weighted. Then there are companies that are in organic growth or stasis, and they’re going to be looking at preserving their profit margins year over year. These examples are a gross generalization and oversimplification, but you want to be thinking about, as a candidate, what you are going to show regarding your impact to the revenue side, cost side or profit margins.
Have examples for year over year and for different types of market and business conditions. On different market conditions, have examples from a fast growing, friendly market versus a difficult economy or recessionary economy. On different business conditions, have examples where the business itself was supporting you (e.g., you were a market leader) versus when you’re the underdog.
If you have examples in all market and business conditions, that would be ideal. At a minimum, have results that showcase your contribution to the bottom line.
2 – Executive Presence
When you have the top job, you’re going to be out in front talking to key clients, talking to the board, potentially talking to the media. This is true, not just for the CEO. The CFO is in charge of all things finance (and may be called to speak about financial issues). The COO is in charge of all things operations. Even the head of HR, head of communications, head of marketing, etc. may be called on to talk about their line of responsibility.
A company hiring for the top jobs in each area wants to feel comfortable that you can represent them well to all of their key stakeholders. Look at your resume, online profile, interview responses, all of your communication, marketing and branding. Are you showcasing where you’ve been out in front, representing the company well and exhibiting executive presence?
As you go through the interview process, you are also firsthand, in real-time demonstrating your executive presence in terms of your communication skills as well as all of those non verbal’s — your posture, eye contact, and in this virtual world your use of a virtual communication, this includes video, phone as well as your use of social media.
3 – Strategic Vision
Finally, and this is both qualitative and quantitative, there’s your strategic vision — how are you going to move the company through whatever line of of responsibility you have? If we’re talking about the CEO, the top job, this is the strategy for the whole company and your ideas for where this company is going to be 30, 60, 90, 180, 360 days, five years from now. This is the journey that you’re going to take the company through.
Even in other departments — CFO, COO, Heads of HR, Communications, Marketing, etc. — you need a strategic vision for where you are going to take your line of responsibility. Qualitatively, this is that grand vision over time. Quantitatively, you want to be careful about promising hard metrics, but you should have some idea about how you’re going to define what success looks like and how you’re going to measure it.
Each company has their own specific checklist
There are a lot of factors that are going to be considered, all including bottom line impact, executive presence and strategic vision. Just remember that each company has its own checklist. So look at your own candidacy overall. Do I check the boxes on bottom line impact? Do I have specific examples of executive presence, both communication skills and the non-verbal’s? Do I have a strategic vision? Can I talk about my vision in a way that people will be willing to follow me and can buy in?
Then you also want to look at the individual companies that you are targeting or talking to, and look at their specific situation. Are they in hyper growth mode? Are they in stasis? Are they in a turnaround situation? Are they leading? Are they the underdog?
Look at the market and business conditions and be aware of how that influences both their specific industry and also their specific company. Make sure that you tailor your application for what each company requires.
