Is It Time to Step Up? Signs You're Ready to Become the Boss

So look, you're smashing your targets. Your clients are happy. You could do this job inside and out. But lately you've been thinking, is this it? Like, maybe I'm meant for something more, and maybe that something more is a leadership role. Maybe someone's mentioned to you that, hey, you've got some potential. You could be a future manager. But here's the thing. You're not sure if you're ready or even if it's the right move. Does that sound familiar? Well, then stick around, because in this episode, we're going to talk about what it really takes to make the leap from key account manager to leader, and how to know if it's the right time for you. Hello, ChemFam. I'm Warwick Brown, your favorite chem coach. And welcome to the Chem Club Podcast, a show where key account managers and their leaders come to grow, win, and make an impact. So let's get into it. Today we're talking about one of those big career shaping questions. Should I go for a leadership role? And maybe more importantly, am I actually ready? Because whether you've been thinking about leadership for a while, or maybe you've just been dropped a few hints by your manager, or it's just occurred to you right now, as you listen to this podcast, I want to give you some tools, some insights, and maybe a few reality checks to help you decide what's next. So let's start with the obvious. Leadership is often seen as the next step. Once you've nailed it as a key account manager, or probably in any career, once you've gone so far up the ladder, there comes a point where you have to think, is it time for me to be the boss? And yeah, it absolutely can be. That can be the next step. And maybe it should be the next step, but it's also a completely different ball game. You're moving from doing the work to enabling other people to do the work, from owning accounts to owning strategy. So ask yourself this. Are you interested in leadership because it excites you or because you feel like it's expected or because you just want more money? There's no right or wrong here. But just honestly, I guess what really is your motivation? Because that's really important when it comes to success in the role. So if you are thinking about leadership, this is where I would start. Be brutally honest with yourself. Do you have the makings of a strong leader? I'm talking about things like, you know, managing people, delegation, coaching, mentoring, conflict resolution, that type of thing, motivating people, strategic thinking. So Setting a vision, long term planning, decision making, communication. Very important in a leadership role. Business acumen, you know, you're responsible for P and LS and forecasting. So, you know, some numeracy and some commercial awareness. Those are some things that just off the top of my head are absolute requirements now. And you develop these skills on the job? Absolutely. But you need to be aware. Are these things that I'm naturally good at? Are these things that I hate doing so important that you take some time to think about those sorts of things. The skills that you have, the skills you are prepared to develop skills, the things you're good at, things you're bad at, all that kind of stuff. Because if you don't know where you stand when it comes to those types of things, it's going to be very difficult for you to assess when the time is right for leadership or even if leadership is right for you. Now, if you're a member of the Camp Club, I have put together a leadership readiness assessment just for you. It's a great place to start. It takes about 10 minutes. It's going to give you a few things to think about and a picture of your strengths and gaps as you consider leadership as your next career move. And if you are not a member of the Camp Club, well, what are you waiting for? CAM Club is the most amazing community of key account managers. Inside you're going to find coaching training templates, guides one to ones with me every Tuesday, Wednesday I offer those workshops. I can go on and on. Learn more@thecamclub.com and I would love to see you there. Let's get back to it. So here's the truth, right, if you want. Well, we've all come across these situations, right, where somebody's been promoted into a role because they were good at the job, but then it turns out they're a lousy boss. No different for you and me. Being a brilliant CAM doesn't mean you automatically are a brilliant leader. As a key account manager, you're in the weeds, you're delivering results you're doing, but as a leader, you're a long term thinker, you're delegating, you're developing people and that can be really hard, right, when you're used to that control and you've got to release it, you've got to trust your team to be able to do what they need to do to get the result and it can't always be the way you want. That's been a very hard lesson for me. I've managed teams for a very long time. And the struggle is real. I remember just going crazy over things like people using round bullet points instead of square bullet points and because it just drove me nuts, or the margins being kind of wacky on a couple of pages or just silly little things that added make no difference. But I would be all wound up about it. I would end up diving in and picking up work off people rather than showing them how to do it better, or just redefining the scope or just accepting that sometimes done is good enough doesn't have to be great. So again, that is a really big challenge when you move from the doing to the leading. So think about that. And also here's what you might be able to do to prepare yourself for that now. Volunteer to lead a project, get a sense of what it's like to be in charge of something and to bring people together to deliver a result without doing all the work yourself, maybe earning some pieces of it. Maybe mentor a junior colleague, somebody that's new to the team, or somebody from another department that's got aspirations of moving into key Account management. That's another great place to test the waters around your skill levels and your leadership skills and understand what it's really like in the role. And maybe there's some working groups in your company where you could do some cross functional collaboration, whatever it might be. But getting exposure to that collaboration, delegation, leading kind of mindset is a great place to test whether or not leadership's good for you. It's not about waiting to get the title right. You can be a leader right now. In fact, I wrote an article a little while ago, if I can find it, I'll pop a link into the show. Notes. It was called. Your title is not Key Account Manager, it's Key Account Leader. And I put some tips in there about that mindset of leadership, you know, regardless of what your title is. So that might be worth a skim. Now listen, there's something that can really trip people up when they are moving into leadership. What? Especially if it's an internal move. What happens when you get promoted and now you're leading your former teammates? Yikes, I've been there. It is so awkward. It's so weird. And especially, you know, if you're younger and you're leading a team that some, some of the people are older, that can be a real challenge. You know, how do I get their respect? I'm, I'm 25, I'm 30 and they're 50. Or people that also went for the same job as you, but you were successful and they weren't. How did you deal with that? Oh, it can be really a bit of a. Let's just say it can mess with your head. But here's the key, right? Don't make it about you. Your job is now to set your team up to win, to create the environment where they can be their best. That means clear expectations, consistency and trust. You don't have to be the cool boss or their best mate. You don't have to be shy about the fact or embarrassed about the fact that you secured the role. You just need to be someone that they respect and someone they know is in their corner. And that takes time, but you'll get there. The awkwardness does fade, but it's also important that you recognize if you do move into these roles, you can't pretend you know it all, because everyone's going to know this is your first leadership role. They're going to know you don't know it all. So lean on your team, call on the strengths of different people in the. In the team and say, hey, listen, I don't know it all. I'm here to help everybody succeed. Create the environment where you can be your best. You tell me what you need, I'm going to do my best to deliver it for you and I'll tell you what I need and I hope you do the same for me. That's all it takes, right? And then you can, you can move on. Now, here's another piece of advice. If you're thinking about moving into a leadership role now or soonish, tell your manager. Tell people you know. Let people know. Those are your intentions, those are your ambitions. Don't wait for them to read your mind. Don't wait for them to tap you on the shoulder. Don't apply randomly out of nowhere when a job comes up and surprise people that you're interested. When that opportunity comes up, you want everybody in the business to be thinking you're the person that should be applying for it. They're like, are you applying for it? Why are you applying for that role? Did you see there's a new manager job out? Are you applying for it? You should go for it. That's what you want. People can help, right? If you let people know, firstly, it establishes that you are ambitious, that you have those goals and that keeps, you know, that brings manifestation, right? That. That's the word I was looking for. That brings those opportunities. The universe answers. That's what I'm trying to get to. So book a coffee chat, say to Your boss. I really want to go into a leadership role. What work do I need to do to get there? What are the biggest gaps? What are the biggest objections? If I was to go for a job tomorrow, what would the other people in the business say about my application? Would they welcome it? Would they be surprised? Would they think, absolutely no way. Whatever it might be, be prepared to accept some, some confronting criticism, hopefully constructive. But that single conversation can definitely open doors. And listen, some people worry that they might come off as too ambitious. Don't. Let me ask you this. Would you think it was dumb or arrogant for somebody to say they wanted to grow and to contribute more and be an asset to the business? No. That's all you're saying. So don't be afraid to say, I'd like to be a leader someday. Help me get there, please. So after all of this, maybe you're thinking, I don't know if I'm ready. Or maybe you're still got these nagging doubts, or maybe you just think, I don't know about managing people. I've seen what bosses go through, it's just not for me. That is absolutely valid. So don't be bullied into applying for a leadership role if you don't think you're ready. And don't beat yourself up if your ambitions hit a ceiling, absolutely fine. The world isn't going to be full of GMs, SVP's and entrepreneurs. We all need to figure out where we are comfortable in terms of our career growth and our career trajectory. Some of the best people I've worked with have been individual contributors their entire careers. And they have carved out incredible careers by mentoring, leading projects, becoming subject matter experts. So don't be ashamed or embarrassed if you decide that's your path. But I will say there is a trade off because eventually in most organizations there is going to be a ceiling on like how far you can go or how much you can earn without stepping into leadership. So as long as you're comfortable with that, fine. You know, even if that's not the right time, just don't look towards other people getting promotions and other people taking on leadership roles or knowing that others earn more money in the business than you and be jealous or envious or angry about it because that's not your path, right? You made a decision about what is right and when it's right for you. So if now is not the right time or never is the right time, be fine with it. But just, you know, don't project onto other people that you're you're staying put while others are moving forward because you have that same opportunity. If you really want to, go for it. So, Cam fam, what do you think is leadership for you? Isn't it for you? Is it something you want to think about now in the future? I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to drop me a line at hello@thecamclub.com I'd be interested in hearing from you. Hit me up on LinkedIn. If you want more advice, you can find me there. Orikbrown Remember, leadership isn't just about having direct reports. It's about influence, vision, strategy. And you can start leading now, wherever you are, by stepping up, sharing ideas and helping others win. And that way, when the promotion does come, you're going to be ready. Don't forget to check out the show notes. And also if you're a member of the Camp club, the Leadership Readiness guide. And my final parting advice for you is if you think you're ready for leadership or you're just figuring it out, either way, just. Just remind yourself you're not behind, you're not late. You're just getting clarity. And that's the first step. So thanks so much for listening, guys. I'm going to see in the next episode real soon. Bye for now.