Posted by Heidi Schwartz
Want to move into a management role? It takes more than business savvy and decision-making skills, research by The Creative Group suggests. When survey participants were asked to name the most important factor they consider when promoting professionals to management positions, more than half (53%) said they look for candidates with strong motivational or leadership skills. Interpersonal or soft skills followed, with 19% of the response.
Survey participants were asked, “In your opinion, which of the following factors weighs most heavily when your company promotes professionals to management positions?” Their responses:
“Being an effective manager means more than giving orders and making sure projects are completed on time,” said Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group. “Leaders must inspire their teams and boost employee engagement to steer their companies to greater heights.”
The Creative Group outlines five key traits for those seeking a promotion to a supervisory role:
- Vision. A sharp understanding of where your business is going is essential to success. Great leadership relies on a clear vision of the future as well as the ability to inspire others toward your goals.
- Focus. Effective managers keep their eyes fixed on the prize. They know when to sacrifice short-term wins to pursue bigger picture objectives.
- Creativity. The most successful leaders share a willingness to turn established business practices on their heads and foster a culture of smart risk taking. A passion to innovate and advance the company overrides their fear of failure.
- Flexibility. Good managers know change in the workplace is constant and that agility is central to getting ahead. This means they can pivot at a moment’s notice to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
- Resilience. Sometimes the act of striving toward business goals means you will fail. The best bosses can bounce back and turn a setback into a well-timed gain.
