CEOs aren’t the only leaders within their companies. Whether you work in accounting, finance, information technology (IT), life sciences, or any other field, leaders can be found at every level of the corporate hierarchy. Leadership roles are highly coveted across all industries, not just because of their status and compensation packages. Those in leadership positions often have tremendous influence within their respective organizations. They guide the direction of major projects, drive innovation across their teams, and help others develop new skills and advance their careers.
It sounds like a remarkable opportunity, and for many leaders, it truly is. The process to secure a leadership position, however, varies by firm. Most companies operate using a corporate hierarchy model, which can sometimes be referred to as the “corporate ladder.” In these systems, newer employees must work their way up the ranks, earning higher positions of seniority in exchange for quality performance.
How can an employee progress through the ranks and achieve a leadership position?
While some nuances to role progression depend on the industry, companies look for several core skills when evaluating internal candidates for leadership roles. Today, we will review examples of leadership roles and detail the core competencies rising candidates need to attain them.
1. Emerging as a Leader from an Entry-Level Position
Employers use an abundance of terms to refer to entry-level workers. In the financial world, these individuals may receive the title of “analyst.” Accounting firms usually refer to their post-graduate employees as “junior” or “staff” accountants. Terms such as “specialists,” “associates,” and “strategists” are also common for employees in the early stages of their careers.
These titles all have one thing in common: they represent individual producers who are contributing to projects assigned by their managers. Producers are generally evaluated based on their output performance, or the quality and quantity of their work.
It’s unlikely that people at this level will have the authority to dictate project direction or strategy, but they can still earn leadership status among their peers. These leaders become subject matter experts in the areas they oversee and are always willing to learn more by taking on new projects. When working with or for clients, they pay close attention to detail and always go the extra mile to deliver exceptional service.
In the recruiting industry, entry-level recruiters can demonstrate leadership ability by learning about professional disciplines, such as the differences between accounting and financial analysis. They can learn about the importance of financial cycles and develop a detailed understanding of how titling works across institutions. Most of this information can be extracted from 1:1 meetings with candidates. If executed correctly, an entry-level recruiter can leverage insights from meetings with candidates to personalize client services, which might include resume consultations, interview preparation sessions, and career path planning.
Entry-level employees who can take the initiative to learn and improve may be more likely to be considered for promotions and leadership opportunities.
2. Gaining Seniority
Similar to entry-level positions, senior positions can have titles that vary drastically. Some hierarchical consistencies exist across industries. For your reference, we’ve included some here (from most to least senior):
- CFO
- Financial Controller / Vice President
- Manager
- Senior Accountant
- Staff Accountant
- Junior Accountant
- CFO
- Corporate Controller / Vice President
- Director
- Manager
- Supervisor
- Senior Analyst
- Analyst
- Networking
- Programming
- Helpdesk 3
- Helpdesk 2
- Helpdesk 1
- Operations Director
- Operations Specialist / Manager
- Senior Paralegal
- Paralegal
- Legal Administrator
While the titles vary by industry, you may notice that all the senior positions listed (in bold) are either one or two levels above the entry positions. They also indicate seniority, either with “senior” in the title, or through a numerical increase in rank, as seen in the IT hierarchy. The latter system is also commonly used in the computer science and software engineering fields.
As entry-level employees rise to senior positions, their workloads and levels of responsibility increase. The work may be more technical or require more interactions with clients. It may involve cross-functional work, and company leaders may expect senior-level personnel to be comfortable driving these sessions.
Leadership at this level looks different than it does for entry-level employees. Occasionally, a senior team member may have a direct report or two, but managing large teams of people is rarely the focus. Rather, these employees are expected to leverage their experience and strategic decision-making skills to guide the direction of the projects they oversee. They will have much more influence over the approach used to execute tasks than junior-level workers.
Read More: Understanding How an IT Staffing Agency Works
3. Supervising Team Members
Team management is at the core of any supervisor role.
Supervisors and team leaders can have a massive impact on team morale, employee retention, and, of course, company performance. The primary objective for a supervisor should be to have a strong impact on each direct report on the team. Supervisors who offer professional guidance, industry education, emotional support, and constructive feedback are more likely to see their teams succeed.
Let’s return to the entry-level recruiter. That recruiter will be evaluated based on the quality of the last hire. The manager will review feedback from the client regarding the placement and give feedback accordingly. The recruiter’s career progression is more or less determined by the aggregated sentiment of the recruiting book during the year-end review.
One may assume that if a recruiter makes several poor placements and receives negative feedback from clients, the individual is mostly at fault, with a small portion of blame falling on the supervisor. In reality, the opposite is true. While this logic would apply in the case of an experienced recruiter, an entry-level employee needs to rely on a supervisor’s guidance to navigate the field. A strong supervisor should step in and educate a new employee to prevent recurring mistakes and poor client experiences.
The ability to intervene, provide constructive criticism, and guide a new employee back on the right path is far more important than abilities or years of personal experience. One experienced recruiter can only execute so many deals—a supervisor with a team of well-trained employees is a much stronger force.
4. Executive Leadership
C-suite executives almost always have technical expertise and key leadership qualities that make them essential figures within any growing organization.
Executives establish the company culture from the top down. As a result, those in positions of executive leadership have a major impact on employee retention as well.
If employees are upset with their job, they are less likely to perform quality work. The primary reasons for this dissatisfaction are a lack of communication between the employees and their supervisors or a lack of communication from management. Studies show that employers who act on employee feedback are 11 times more likely to retain their employees than those who do not. By prioritizing employee feedback and investing in their staff, executives can build trust and develop open lines of communication throughout their organizations.
Those on the cusp of securing executive leadership roles may want to consider enrolling in master’s degree programs and earning credentials such as CPE or CFA certifications. These programs can benefit professionals at any level, but rising executives will see the most value as these educational lessons are most applicable in the later stages of one’s career.
If you seek to rise from a mid-level role to a leadership position, you must also meet and converse with your supervisor(s) consistently. When discussing projects, discuss your achievements in addition to those of your team (if applicable). Explicitly explain how you were an asset to the greater organization. Keeping an open dialogue between you and your supervisor can increase your chances of rising to a leadership position, even if that position is under the same supervisor at another firm—a fairly common occurrence in today’s market.
How to Find An Executive Recruiter For Your Job Search
5. Possess Key Characteristics of Great Leadership at Every Level
A few core differentiators separate great leaders from others at every level of the corporate hierarchy. Many of these items are intangible skills that aren’t usually found on resumes or LinkedIn profiles.
Great leaders are organized individuals with strong verbal and written communication skills. These qualities help them prioritize workloads, which is important within lean and fast-paced organizations. This allows them to meet and exceed deadlines, freeing them to take on new tasks and responsibilities. They immerse themselves in these projects, developing their skills and knowledge until they quickly become subject matter experts.
Another tip: many successful leaders target their weaknesses by crafting a written plan. After identifying weaknesses, these leaders will pursue solutions such as educational courses, leadership seminars, public speaking classes, and communication training sessions.
The Daley And Associates Difference
We’ve reviewed a series of examples of leadership roles and covered attributes of each level. If you’re thinking about pursuing a leadership role or improving your leadership abilities, consider partnering with Daley And Associates.
At Daley, our team focuses on developing strong relationships with candidates to craft training plans tailored to their specific needs. We hone in on the key intangible qualities that separate great leaders from the rest of the pack. Our experts coach candidates to strengthen their communication and prioritization skills and improve their abilities as individual contributors and team leaders. We teach candidates how to leverage these skills to verbalize their achievements in interviews and ask current employers the career pathing questions that drive results.
Our services don’t come to a hard stop after placement. Daley’s recruiters will meet with candidates to help them prepare for yearly review calls, assess promotion potential, and recommend resume updates—after they’ve already settled into their new roles.
Interested in securing the leadership role of your dreams? Connect with a Daley And Associates team member today.
