Top 4 Qualities You#8217;ll Need to Gatecrash the C-Suite

Top 4 Qualities You8217ll Need to Gatecrash the C-Suite The life of a CEO is not as coveted as it once was. Today, not everyonewants to rise to the top in fact, many are content just to hang out on the lower rungs of the corporate ladder.This C-suite phobia should be welcome news tothose of you whoare aiming for the executive ranks. It means theres less competition out there for you to best. But that doesnt mean it will be easy The competition does exist for senior posts remains as fierce as ever, and it may become evenfiercer, given that recent reports show that the average CEO salary hit $13.8 million in 2015.If you want to ascend to the top, you not onlyhave to work hard, but also have to work smart. Lets face it Anyone who realistically aspires to this level is going to be a cut above the rest. Its up to you to outsmart all those other aspirants.The best way to position yourself for the C-level is to focus on developing a few premium skills and cr edentials that tend to go hand in hand with executive posts. My advice? departure with these four1. A degreeMore than 50 percent of Fortune 100 CEOshave degrees in economics, business, or accounting. Meanwhile, 27 percent of themstudied engineering and 14 percent studied law. If you really want to earn a place in the C-suite, its best to lay off the liberal arts. Pursue these more vocational fields of study instead and maybe even get yourself an MBA while youre at it, because 40 percent of Fortune 100 CEOs have one of those, too.2. The Art of PersuasionOnce you get that coveted corner office, you cant just bark orders at peopleand expect them to jump to it. This tactic may have worked at lower levels, but at the top of the ladder,your colleagues and associates will be much better at pushing back.Youll alsobe much further from the action, too, meaning you simply wont be in a position to tell someone to get on it. You cant walk around and shout in the ears of 100 employees every morn ing, can you? This isntFull Metal Jacket.the C-level, youll need to do a little less commanding, and a lot more persuading. When youre in the C-suite, youll need to convince and inspire people if you want to get anything done. Youll also need to be good at negotiating your way around any obstacles or conflicts that arise.3. Leadership SkillsOf course leadership skills are vital in leadership positions. What is less obvious, however, is what leadership skills really means.AtAccording to a study from the American Management Association (AMA), key leadership skills for the C-level include strategic planning, decision making, execution, and drive for results.Still, these might sound a little vague. Lets take a look at what these skills are like in practice- Rather than being stressed out or incapacitated by uncertainty and pressure, you take control with timelyand appropriatedecisions and actions.- You tend not to be hampered by hurdles and setbacks. You are matter of fact about them, a nd youalways find a way to work around them.- Even in the midst of the corporate melee, you can you map out strategic goals and keep your sights focused on what matters.- When others around your have had enough, you are busy lookingfor the next goal to accomplish.4. Time Management SkillsSure, time management skills arent sexy or exciting, but they are critical to your success as an executive. The AMA study cited above found that many members of the C-level struggle with time management, which is exactly why you need time management skills If you have them, but your competitors dont, then youll get a huge advantage over the other people vying for your executive spot._There are, of course, plenty of external factors beyond your control that will impact your ability to make it into the C-suite. In terms of what you can control, however, you should focus on sharpening your skills and credentials in the areas listed above. Doing so will give you the best possible chance of one day sitti ng inthat coveted corner office.