The Move From Manager To Director Level. What Does It Take?

It is one of the big leaps that defines a career — the move from managing people to leading as a company director.

If that move has been on your mind, you might be wondering whether you’re ready. You might also be asking how you can demonstrate that you are equal to the task — and what to expect when you get there.

While the move to director level is a leap, you have made big leaps before.

“It potentially is a massive jump — but you could say that going into management was the equivalent jump,” says Sally Bennett, Executive Manager at TeamExecutive.

A lot of people have a director role in their sights, she states.

“Some people come to it too early and think they’re ready when actually they are not,” she says.

“What we need to then do is demonstrate to them what they are missing, what they need to do in order to get to the next place.”

The Real Difference Between Managers And Directors

Sally says the difference between a manager’s job and that of a director is all about motivating others.

“It is about strategy, but it is also about how you portray that vision to your team in order for them to meet the objectives of that business,” she says.

“That is a challenge in itself. How can you project that vision and where the company needs to go? And how do you get them to go there? If you have that, but you haven’t got all the technical knowledge, well, you can learn the technical knowledge. To an extent, it’s the natural leadership that is so important.”

To succeed at that director-level leadership, it is crucial that you are able to listen and engage with a team — something that does not always come naturally to managers. Directors need to work constantly on themselves.

“They have to listen and let people have their say. Sometimes that is what managers aren’t particularly strong at,” says Sally.

“Also, it is about learning from mistakes, driving that kind of culture.

“For instance, my personality profile, I’m a strategist and I’m a ‘polisher’. That means perfection. But I have to accept that not everything can be perfect.

“I suppose the one thing I have had to learn as a leader is that it is okay for me to make mistakes and to make sure the team know it is okay to make a mistake as long as you learn from it.”

A director, Sally says, has to promote the values of an organisation. “The board has to be aligned not only with the financial figures, the objectives and the strategy, but also on behaviours and the values around those behaviours,” she adds.

The Challenges Of Stepping Up To Boardroom Level

It can be hard to convince the key people that you are ready to be a director.

“If you are going into a new company and haven’t already proved yourself on a board at director level, companies will see that as a potential risk,” says Sally.

“Equally, if you stay in your current business, you already have the recognition, but it can be hard to take the next step because the company sees you in the role you are already in and might want to bring somebody in from outside.”

Sometimes, the solution can be to move to a smaller organisation for your first boardroom job.

“There are a lot of people at senior levels in large organisations who will seek a smaller organisation to join at director level” says Sally.

“A lot of what they have been exposed to is useful for a smaller organisation.”

One barrier, though, can be the question of experience in the industry.

Leadership experience from one industry can be transferred to another, but Sally says it can be hard to convince decision-makers of this.

“I would like to see more open-mindedness about people coming in from other industries and how they can make that transition,” she says.

“If somebody is a leader in financial services, they can be a leader in FMCG (fast moving consumer goods).

“I do believe that giving people a chance in other sectors brings a renewed energy which you may not get with somebody already in the industry.”

The Biggest Changes You Can Expect As A Director

It is possible that you will face a challenging situation for a leader as soon as you get that director-level appointment

If you are moving up to the boardroom in your existing company, you may have won the job at the expense of others who applied internally. If you are going to work for a new employer, you may find you have been chosen ahead of someone you now have to work with.

“So now you have got the pressure of proving why you were the right person,” says Sally.

“But also you might have to motivate others because the business does not want to lose them.”

Stepping up to a director role internally can create conflict with colleagues you may have counted as friends.

“You might have been in that peer group for a long time. All of a sudden you have got to step up. Now you are taking pressure from above and you have to drive the people below,” says Sally.

“I have had countless conversations with candidates who have been in that situation. Or the biggest challenge can be that the candidate does not change their relationships — because they think they can do it and keep the relationships they have had.”

But the biggest change of all at director level is the accountability.

“The buck stops with you,” states Sally.

“When I look for a financial director, for example, I look for people who take responsibility and accountability.

“That role carries a massive responsibility for areas such as VAT and HMRC. You could pull a business under immense strain if you don’t know what you are doing.”

If a candidate can show Sally that they can handle both strategy and accountability, that person is likely to be the kind of person TeamExecutive can start recommending to its clients as a future director.