How I Made it into Senior Management

Recently, Bill Hicks, a LinkedIn connection, freelance writer, editor and content manager sent me a nice note on a piece I had written. He was very kind and asked a good question. 

How do you get from middle management to upper management? Is it luck? How about politics? Did you have a great idea? Do you have a mentor who helped you? 

He said he would enjoy reading a story like that from me. After kicking myself for not coming up with this on my own, I figured it might have some appeal. I have written about the irony of my success. I have weaved the story within my posts, but I never tackled it head on. So here is how I did it. Take what you can and use it, there is no pride of authorship about my journey. In fact, I would hope others who have done well would add their voice. Further insight on how to do it without so much pain would be a real value add.

In my early career, I was an HR guy, a recruiter, salesman, marketer, support executive and at times, unemployed. I was trying to figure out what to do. I worked in banking, insurance, and software. In college, I went to an OK school and did, well, OK. I majored in Sociology. I struggled with English and writing. 

Over time, I married a great partner who is still with me twenty-eight years later. Sue has stood by every cockamamie idea I had and never passed judgment. Not once. That is the first reason why I made it into senior management and the C-suite. I have an unrelenting partner who supports me. The one who picked me up when I was down and didn't let me rise too high when I had a win under my belt. It is the foundation of the reasons that follow. 

I have been a jack of all trades and master of none for my whole career. I have worked in Marketing, Sales, Client Support, Relationship Management, Product, and Strategy. I am better at some than others, but I have a broad base of experience and expertise to draw from. I can hang in there with almost any business conversation. A lot of this comes from longevity. People who hire "management types" like experience as a general rule. A track record is the second reason why I made it into senior management. Gray hair helps. 

Bill asked if it was politics that helped me get into senior management. The answer is: no. While I have worked for three major banks and a large insurance company, I am not particularly good at it. I am known to a fault as a straight shooter. That has helped me get into senior management. The good CEOs I have worked with wanted the truth, no matter how bad.

Was it luck? In some ways I was lucky. But, I turned someone else's bad situation into an opportunity for me. I worked for a head of sales that got fired back in the day at Albridge Solutions. My boss looked at me and said: "Congratulations you're the new head of sales and a management team member." I worked my ass off to make the best of it, and I did. This reason is why I made it into senior management is interrelated with the next one. The company I was with had a new product with no competition. And we were in a big enough market. That product worked and transformed the financial advisor industry. We became the ubiquitous application in the space. Our hard work, good decision-making, and excellent technology made the difference. So the lesson here is an opportunity presented itself at the right time. Call it luck; I don't care. I seized it and elevated my career.

My friend Bill asked if I had an idea that helped me along the way. In fact, I did. I have had a boatload of them over the years. People who hire me want me for them. When you work for the CEO, this can be tough. She/He is more likely to say “no” than “yes” to almost everything. In fact, successful management will say “no” more than “yes.” It has to be that way, and I don’t take the dismissal of my ideas personally. But, I can point to one that forever made a difference for me. I pushed hard to spend a few thousand dollars on a new, untested product. I thought it would help our marketing efforts at a time when our company was going out of business. My boss said "no" to my buy question, so I offered to pay for it myself. My request became approved because I had the balls to put my money where my mouth was. My wife and I were broke at the time so it would have been a credit card nightmare for us. In time, we would use that product as the cornerstone of what became a $100-million-dollar business. That idea and my persistence helped me cement myself in senior management. 

Having a mentor is key. I had one and still do today. If you don't have one, find one. No matter how senior you become, it is ok to look up to someone. The unbiased, frank, advice you get is priceless. Note: this is not someone I have followed from place to place. We worked at one company together and have maintained the relationship.

The last reason I have made it into senior management is leadership. Throughout my life, I have always desired to be responsible for something. I take risks, learn from the consequences, adjust, and try again. And again and again.

I am in a career transition right now seeking my next senior management job. I am looking for a company with a growth opportunity. I can't wait to find it and meet my new colleagues. I look forward to working on the challenges to maximize the opportunity for the company. Why? Because for me it is fun to have a challenge and run after results. 

So here is the recap on how I made it into senior management. These are things I have in my DNA.

• An unrelenting partner who supported me

• A track record

• Good luck that provided an opportunity I took advantage of

• A great idea

• A mentor

• Leadership

  
  

Thanks for the question, Bill. I hope this has put some color on my career and provided some advice as well.

My Best,