How to Go from Manager to Director - Land an Executive Level Position

The transcript outlines strategies for transitioning from a managerial role to a director position, emphasizing the necessity of adopting new skills and mindsets. It highlights the importance of cross-functional leadership, articulating new standards, mentoring rather than prescribing, and chartering a company's strategic course. The speaker underscores the need for directors to influence without direct authority, develop future managers, and engage in continuous learning. The ABCs of promotion—Articulate, Become, Charter, and Develop—are presented as essential steps, with a focus on executive coaching to enhance leadership, influence, and communication skills for successful advancement.

• Career progression typically follows a path from individual contributor to manager, then to director, and beyond to VP and C-level roles.
• The skills required to be a successful individual contributor often differ significantly from those needed at the director level.
• Transitioning to a director involves a mindset shift and adopting new strategies and rules of success.

"I've been a manager for seven years. When will I be ready to be a director?"

• This quote highlights the common question of readiness for promotion to director, emphasizing the importance of understanding the necessary skills and mindset for this role.

"Most of the things that are required to be a great individual contributor are the exact opposite of the things that you need to be successful when it comes to director level."

• The quote underscores the contrast between the skills needed for individual contributors and those required for directors, indicating a significant shift in responsibilities and expectations.

• Marketing oneself is a critical component of career advancement and should be an ongoing process, not just during performance reviews.
• Positioning oneself as a potential director involves proactive self-promotion and demonstrating readiness for the role.

"Marketing yourself is a key component of the promotion. It is a process."

• This quote emphasizes the continuous nature of self-promotion as a crucial factor in being considered for a director position.

"It's not that you start marketing the minute you are asked with the promotion, or you start marketing during the performance review, where you're being assessed."

• The quote highlights the importance of ongoing self-marketing rather than relying on specific moments like performance reviews.

• Transitioning from manager to director requires a mindset shift and a new approach to leadership and management.
• Directors must operate cross-functionally, manage larger teams, and handle broader responsibilities.

"At the director level, it's a whole different game."

• This quote illustrates the significant change in responsibilities and expectations at the director level compared to the manager level.

"Different rules, different strategies for success."

• The quote indicates that success at the director level requires adopting new rules and strategies, distinct from those at the manager level.

• The ABCs framework outlines key strategies for transitioning from manager to director.
• "A" stands for "Articulate," focusing on articulating new standards of excellence and leading teams to adopt new processes.

"ABCs of how to become manager and being promoted to director. ABC's. A is for articulate."

• The quote introduces the ABCs framework, starting with articulating new standards as a crucial step in becoming a director.

"Articulate new standards of excellence. And this is as a director, one of your key roles on the director level is to lead a team and you're leading them to adopt new processes."

• This quote explains the importance of articulating and implementing new standards and processes as a director, highlighting a key responsibility of the role.

• Transitioning from a manager to a director involves a significant shift in mindset and responsibilities.
• Managers typically lead teams to execute tasks based on established processes and benchmarks.
• Directors, however, must lead cross-functional teams that do not directly report to them, requiring advanced leadership and influence skills.

"Managers lead a team to execute based on established processes. And as a manager, you’re used to meeting benchmarks and as an individual contributor as well."

• Managers operate within a structured environment, focusing on process execution and meeting benchmarks.

"At a director level, you're not showing the managers what you did when you were a manager, it requires a completely different way of thinking."

• Directors must adopt a new mindset, moving beyond directly managing teams to influencing cross-functional teams.

• Directors need to develop a unique set of leadership skills to influence teams that do not directly report to them.
• The ability to empower and influence individuals without direct authority is crucial for directors.
• Directors must articulate their vision and influence execution in a more indirect manner.

"It's one thing to be able to influence people who report to you... but it's a completely different ballgame... to be able to influence people, that you don't have direct power over."

• Influencing without direct authority requires advanced leadership skills, differentiating directors from managers.

• Aspiring directors should seek opportunities for cross-functional leadership to prepare for the role.
• Engaging in projects that require cross-functional collaboration helps build necessary skills for directorship.
• Executive coaching is a valuable tool for developing leadership, influence, and communication skills.

"Get involved, find ways to get involved in some more cross-functional responsibilities. Projects that demand cross-functional leadership so that now you can begin to learn what it takes to be successful in that type of directorship environment."

• Proactively seeking cross-functional projects aids in developing the skills needed for successful directorship.

"If you're serious about investing in that coaching for yourself and you want to work with someone who has helped other executives to become successful..."

• Investing in executive coaching can accelerate the development of essential skills for aspiring directors.

• Articulating is the first step in the ABCs of being promoted to a director position.
• Articulation involves clearly communicating your skills, understanding, and competencies.
• It's essential to articulate your vision and strategic thinking to others in a way that is understandable and convincing.

"So that is the A, ABCs of how to be promoted to director. A was to articulate."

• Articulating your skills and vision is the foundational step in advancing to a director role.

• Becoming a student of your discipline is crucial for career advancement.
• Directors mentor and teach, whereas managers prescribe and direct.
• Teaching requires a deep understanding of mental models and first principles thinking.
• Directors must explain the "why" behind actions and strategies to teach effectively.

"The difference between manager versus director is exactly this, managers prescribe versus directors who mentor."

• The transition from manager to director involves shifting from directing tasks to mentoring and teaching.

"Teaching means that you yourself as a director, or a candidate as a director, you yourself must understand the mental models behind your profession."

• Understanding and communicating mental models is vital for effective teaching and leadership as a director.

"Have you ever noticed that sometimes somebody is could be really good at what they do, but they don't know how to teach somebody to be good at what they do?"

• The ability to teach and pass on knowledge is a higher level of skill than merely being competent in a task.

• Chartering involves setting the strategic direction for the company.
• Directors must be capable of defining and communicating the course the company should take.
• This requires a deep understanding of the company's vision and the strategic thinking behind it.

"C is to Charter. Charter. Charter what? Charter the course for the company."

• Chartering the course is a key responsibility of a director, involving strategic planning and direction setting.

• Managers oversee employees and supervise the implementation of team tasks, focusing on day-to-day operations.
• Directors focus on formulating long-term strategies, setting agendas for growth, innovation, and productivity.
• Directors are responsible for charting the course for the company before instructing managers to implement these plans.

"The difference between a manager and a director is this: a manager is more involved in overseeing employees and supervising the implementation of the team. The director, on the other hand, is focused not just on day-to-day implementations."

• This quote highlights the fundamental distinction between the operational focus of managers and the strategic focus of directors.

• Directors are tasked with formulating what success looks like for the company.
• They must evaluate processes, identify bottlenecks, and implement systems to overcome these challenges.
• Directors focus on the company's goals and are key implementers at the director level.

"As a director, you got to be able to consistently not be involved in the day-to-day implementation so much anymore, but your day-to-day is dedicated towards formulating what is success going to look like."

• This quote emphasizes the strategic role of directors in defining and steering the company's success.

• A: Articulate the vision and strategy for the company.
• B: Become a leader who inspires and guides others.
• C: Charter the course for the company's future.
• D: Develop future managers and leaders to build a legacy.

"That's ABC. A is articulate, B is to become, C is to charter the course, and D is to develop."

• This quote outlines the fundamental components of a director's role in shaping the company's future and developing leadership.

• Directors play a crucial role in mentoring individuals to become great managers.
• They focus on broader development, instilling processes and competencies needed for future leadership roles.
• The mindset shift from individual contributor development to developing future directors is essential.

"A director is there to coach and mentor individuals. And when under their mentorship, those mentees become great managers."

• This quote underscores the director's responsibility in nurturing future leaders and ensuring the continuity of effective management.

• The speaker encourages listeners to reflect on their key takeaways and commit to personal growth.
• Emphasizes the importance of investing in oneself to develop the necessary skills and mindset for leadership.

"Comment below and commit to that. This is the investment you're going to make in yourself."

• This quote motivates listeners to actively engage in their personal development and take actionable steps towards becoming effective leaders.