Continuing a professional trajectory in senior management and leadership requires a holistic and comprehensive ability to understand a company’s business and make fundamental transformations that improve financial and operational performance. The promotability of professionals in senior roles within a single business unit, region or function depends on developing the acumen to understand the bigger picture of the company’s current and future business position, and then using this knowledge to positively influence its performance. This means developing foresight and knowledge about how to formulate market, product and go-to-market strategies as well as knowing how to lead transformations that put these strategies into place. It’s also about formulating and implementing plans for the digital transformation of internal services and operations to improve efficiency and performance.

It is critical that a company’s talent and organizational strategy support its business strategy.  Professionals in senior roles need to understand how to design effective organizational structures to positively shape culture, improve working practices and drive employee engagement. Leaders also need to stay up-to-date on best practices concerning how to attract, retain, develop and motivate talent as well as how to ensure diversity, inclusion and performance in the structure and management of teams. In many ways, senior leaders need to be both “chief behavior officers” as well as experience designers—leaders able to put in place the conditions under which all their people can perform at their best and thrive. This requires not only an understanding of how to formulate organizational and talent strategy, but also the leadership skills to make transformation happen successfully within an organization.