A few years ago, Brad Anderson, then CEO of Best Buy, told me something both provocative and profound. We were discussing what he looked for in selecting someone for a C-suite level role. Among other skills, he wanted to find executives who had the wisdom to know when the organization needed to be fundamentally changed and shaken up — and when the organization needed time to incorporate prior changes.

Brad's comment illustrates an important truth about succeeding to the executive level. Given the unrelenting pace of change surrounding organizations in virtually every industry, companies are looking for executives who know how to innovate and introduce change, not simply caretakers who can manage the status quo.

When ambitious managers one or two levels below the C-suite hear that they need to demonstrate the ability to lead innovation and change, this feedback typically triggers howls of protest, often preceded by 'They won't' or 'They don't.' Senior management doesn't[...]

[Published in NonProfitBlogs - Read the original article]