Getting to the top of business is a massive challenge. There’s a lot of competition and relatively few people with the requisite skills to make it work.
The people who do eventually get there rarely plot a straight line to the top. Often there’s an element of luck that works in their favor. They have a chance connection or meeting with somebody, and suddenly doors open for them.
Sometimes, though, C-level executives are their own worst enemy. They do things that hold them back, thereby delaying their rise to the top.
In this post, therefore, we’re going to take a look at the career advice that C-level executives wished they had learned earlier. Check out the following.
Be Customer-Obsessed
Being customer-centric sounds like a good idea. But when you really analyze what it means, you soon discover that it is hopelessly wishy-washy and vague. Aren’t all businesses centered on their customers?
A better way of putting it might be “customer-obsessed.” This terminology gives you a sense of the kind of lengths that some firms go to. You’re not casually building a business around a perceived market need. You’re actively thinking about the people who buy your products all the time and asking how you can serve them better.
Advocate Yourself
Early on in our careers, we tend to feel too grateful for our newfound position. We think that going to work and earning money is some kind of privilege and we should count ourselves lucky.
But that’s not really what is going on. When you work, you’re adding value and enriching other people. If anything, they should be thanking you!
C-level executives wish somebody had explained this to them earlier. There’s no point in being subservient and grateful all the time. Sometimes you have to have the confidence to take your skills to the next level and progress. If you don’t, you’ll stagnate forever.
Delegate All The Mundane Tasks
What is the point of a C-level executive? It’s a good question and one that companies struggle with all the time.
Ideally, the C-level person is somebody who provides the answers and gives directions. They don’t get down and do any of the work themselves. That’s not their role. They live in the realm of ideas and strategy.
Getting an executive virtual assistant, therefore, is essential, the day you rise through the ranks. It doesn’t make sense for top-level people to spend their time processing clients or arranging meetings. The opportunity cost is too high.
Instead, they need to see the world through a different lens – one in which spending money to save time is perfectly acceptable. Delegating tasks, therefore, should be part and parcel of their work.
Don’t Get Comfortable
Comfort feels good in the short-run, but it inevitably leads to pain long-term. Think of the person who spends all day playing video games or munching chips on their sofa. It’s good for a while, but eventually, it deprives them.
C-level executives work under the same principle. Pain is good because it means pushing new boundaries and improving oneself.
