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As you pursue a thriving, fulfilling tech career, you may have a desire to move up. After all, one of the best ways to expand your opportunities is to rise up from team member to manager to executive-level positions.
As you pursue a thriving, fulfilling tech career, you may have a desire to move up. After all, one of the best ways to expand your opportunities is to rise up from team member to manager to executive-level positions. Joining the C-suite is a worthy target, yet it takes a unique set of skills beyond the technology expertise you’ve acquired.
Transitioning from team lead to the highest executive levels therefore requires a strategic approach and a concerted plan to stretch into the business leadership skillset. Here’s what to focus on so you can make that career move successfully.
There’s a Difference Between Tech Management and Tech Executive Leadership
Rising from an entry-level or team position to management often seems straightforward, as it tends to focus on the ability to guide a team and take charge. But the step up from management to executive-level leadership is different, and it requires more from you. Remember, C-suite positions aren’t just about directing people and accomplishing projects.
At the executive level, you’ll be called upon to fulfill a much larger scope of responsibility. You won’t simply be managing teams, but you’ll be overseeing the entire tech department and thinking about how its work intertwines with everything else the business is planning. In doing so, you’ll have to engage in long-term thinking, big picture strategizing, and setting the direction in ways that help the entire company reach its long-term goals. And you’ll interact with high-level, fellow C-suite team members and company boards to guide the company wisely into the future.
Key Tech Executive-Level Skills to Focus on Gaining
There are several tech-related roles at the C-suite level that you might find appealing, such as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) who is in charge of technical strategies; Chief Information Officer (CIO) who oversees the organization’s computer systems; and Chief Data Officer (CDO) who is responsible for strategic data management. Though the titles may vary, the fact remains that C-suite tech executives need much more than IT expertise to thrive.
You’ll need essential leadership skills and strategic big picture thinking to help guide the direction of the organization in all things related to technology. You may already gravitate toward some of these abilities, but it’s a good idea to focus on growing them intentionally. Look for training, education, mentorship, and professional development opportunities that allow you to gain valuable abilities such as these:
Strategic Forward Thinking
Moving from management to executive roles means switching from focused operational projects to strategic leadership. As a member of the C-suite, you’ll lead the charge in defining and overseeing strategic applications of technology, whether that means streamlining existing processes or developing new ones. What you know about different tech programs, hardware, and solutions is only one part of the picture. You’ll need sharp acumen to assess how different tech decisions can provide the business with a competitive advantage.
Leadership and Influence
As a tech manager, you have provided influence and guidance to a group of employees, but at the executive level, tech leaders do even more. C-suite tech leaders take charge of determining the organization’s tech culture, making decisions that influence company-wide initiatives that touch every department. You’ll position yourself well for a C-level role through understanding big-picture analytics, organizational design, and infrastructure. Skills beyond tech — such as sales and marketing — are often handy because they help you to strategize in ways that help the company head in the right direction.
Financial Acumen
C-suite tech executives are responsible for overseeing their entire department’s financial success. So, you’ll need to develop essential skills such as understanding financial statements, profit and loss management, and budgeting at an organizational level. An ability to envision how technology fits into the company’s overall budget and financial strategies is a must, because you’ll be responsible for making complex decisions based on a thorough analysis of their impact and an accurate assessment of the return on investment they will deliver.
Adaptability and Innovation
As a visionary, long-term tech strategist, the CIO, CTO, or CDO of a company are responsible to understanding and staying ahead of trends in technology. With today’s ever-changing tech landscape, you’ll need to think fast, stay educated, and envision where emerging trends such as AI might go next, and how they can be leveraged to create greater success and financial growth for your organization.
Communication and Transparency
As a CIO, CDO, or CTO, you will essentially become the face of the company both internally and externally when it comes to anything related to technology and data. Being good with people, able to explain complex technology concepts in laymen’s terms, and authentic in how you connect with others are all skills that will benefit you as you transition from management to the C-suite.
Strategies to Smooth Your Transition to a Tech Executive Role
As you plan your career to become a Chief Technology Officer, Chief Data Officer, or Chief Information Officer,, there are several tactics you can use to help yourself be more successful and effective.
Intentionally Study Business Leadership
People who arrive at the C-suite and stay there don’t happen into it by accident. This level of leadership requires strategic decision-making, even as you plan your career to get there. Look for mentors with experience in executive leadership, and pursue any opportunities you see to enter leadership training, executive MBA programs, and industry certifications that people in C-suite roles tend to have.
Adopt the Right Mindset
Switching from a hands-on management role to high-level decision-making and delegation requires you to think differently. You’ll be taking charge of how the technology your company deploys affects business at every level, and you must embrace being responsible for big decisions—as well as the public visibility that comes with them. Your focus will shift from task completion to strategic planning. The more you can think creatively, the better.
Build a Broad Network and Cultivate Your Personal Brand
At the C-suite level, your focus will be on people much more than it is on the actual tech you make have learned as you rose through the ranks. Concentrate on becoming adept at people skills, including conflict management and expectation setting, so you can successfully manage complex relationships with board members and peers. To gain traction in terms of your personal brand, look for ways to express thought leadership through article writing, speaking engagements, connections with industry influencers, and other public-facing opportunities.
Stay on Top of Tech Trends
To excel as a tech C-suite executive, you’ll need to be in the know about the latest developments in technology and how they’re driving business strategies. More than any other role you’ve had, you’ll have to be aware of the latest in digital developments, from AI to cybersecurity breakthroughs and more—always with the end goal of growing the business and producing greater efficiency and better financial returns. The more you can become a leader who sees things coming and can help set up your organization to navigate changes smoothly, the better you’ll fill your role as a tech executive.
Summing It Up
Transitioning from a middle-level tech career to an executive-level tech position is well worth pursuing. With strategy and training, you can position yourself to be successful with this move, enjoying a fruitful career that helps drive your company forward into the future. If you’re looking for C-suite opportunities or desire to take that next step to a higher level of tech management, we can help. Join our Talent Network today to check out our listings and be notified of the latest opportunities in Tulsa, OK, and beyond.
