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[Author here] I don't there's a single answer. The "right" path is usually some combination of soft and hard skills, persistence, and dumb luck. Skill and persistence come into play because to a large extent, you are the master of your destiny, corporate or otherwise: you can settle for what's expected of you in a role, or you can go above and beyond, trying to find and fix pressing problems that others didn't even know they have, trying to help others grow, persuading other groups to give you the tools you need, and balancing it all with the reality of the business... Rinse and repeat enough times and you will probably be noticed for good judgment and the ability to get stuff done. Now, dumb luck comes into play because to some extent, it's also a matter of being at the right stage of your career at the right time and in the right place. In some companies, especially smaller ones, there might be no way to become a manager or a director until somebody retires or is forced out. And if you miss that window, it might be several years until another opportunity to advance presents itself. As with any other role, there are also many "wrong" paths, depending on the culture of the company; favoritism, cronyism, political horse-trading, bamboozling people, and so forth. But realistically, such things are less common than most people think. It's just easier to be cynical about others than to acknowledge our own personality flaws. We all have some, they weigh us all down; we just need to find a way to work around them and hope for the best. |