To become a leader you have to act as a leader

A promotion can come as the result of hard, dedicated and competent work. However sooner or later you will get to a divider; do you become an expert or do you become a leader?

The expert track can offer much reward, in particular if you become so good at your work that you achieve notoriety and fame. However for many the idea of becoming a manager and taking on a wider set of responsibilities is very compelling. However to get a promotion that makes you a manager, you need to have what it takes to lead people.

Well, that is not completely true, you may not yet have all it takes, but you need to show good promise for you to get the opportunity to try out the role as a manager.

What is the primary competency that the executives will look for in an emerging manager? Is it working very hard? Is it accomplishing much? Is it ingenuity? Not really! Could it be more people focused attributes, it is a people manager role after all? Is it compassion and empathy? Is it an ability to make friends with everyone? No, that is not enough.

There is one and only one attribute that will impress the executives – if you want to become a leader, you have to act as a leader.