When I grew up, “they work hard“It was a motto I heard often. My parents believed that professional success was earned by demonstrating unwavering dedication to whatever organization or company I was fortunate enough to work for. I was often told that I would reach the top by logging hours. long and doing everything required.

When I became COO at 36, my parents were proud, but what they struggled to understand was that it wasn't my work ethic that got me there. Instead, I attribute my professional success to a series of choices I started making consistently years ago. If you want to transform your career, here are four ways you can get started, especially if you're already in management and want to become a senior manager or executive.

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1. Don't do what you can empower others to do

Early in my career, I hesitated delegate difficult tasks because I was a perfectionist. I wanted things done well (and quickly), and if I couldn't immediately identify someone to do the challenging work accurately and quickly, I'd just do it myself.

This was a colossal mistake. It meant that the people around me weren't getting stronger and better. This meant I wasn't growing and developing my team for more. This meant I had no real deck or continuity plan. Ultimately, this meant I was more of a manager than a true leader.

At some point, I realized that leadership is not about that in I can do; it's about what we can do to help others do – so I made a change. I stopped prioritizing efficiency and started prioritizing effectiveness. I stopped prioritizing how accurately or quickly the work was being done and started prioritizing the opportunities that would stretch and challenge everyone around me (in a good way). As I did this, everything changed. I've built a reputation for not only being able to cultivate top talent, but being willing to let go of that talent so they can take on new and exciting opportunities elsewhere in the organization. When that happened, I would just cultivate more talent. This turned out to be very valuable.

2. Be 110% direct and honest

When I first became a manager, I often glossed over the truth. With my employees, I was terrified that if I was too harsh, they would backstab me, disengage, and still not deliver. With my boss, I often held back when I had opposing opinions because I didn't want to”rock the boat“or be seen as objectionable.

Later, I realized that I was put into leadership because my knowledge and perceptions were considered very valuable. I wasn't fulfilling my potential or the role I was hired for by holding back, trying to be “good” or “play nice” with others in the sandbox. Instead, I was there to help the organization improve. This meant I had to grow and develop others. It also meant it had to challenge convention and the status quo — so I got braver and started saying it (respectfully). JUST as i saw it. I decided to be a straight shooter in all situations. As I did, I developed a reputation for being transparent, authentic, and able to resolve conflicts. It turned out, this was necessary.

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3. Set boundaries and say “no”

When I first started in corporate America, I was a people pleaser and worked hard to say yes to everyone and everything. At some point, I realized that this was bleeding me out of my time and drying up. I couldn't take on special projects or advance my own vision because I was constantly advancing the vision of others. Constantly saying yes to everyone else kept me in one reactive siteinstead of a proactive one, and it kept me from really standing for something.

It is as Stephen Covey is said to have said in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People“Act or actAt some point, I started calendaring my days and weeks ahead with activities that The is considered the most important. This allowed me to handle future requests from others one at a time position of force. If others asked me if I could help them, I would first check my calendar and say yes only if my other competing priorities could accommodate it. I will politely share that it wasn't that I didn't they want to help them; it was just that I had other irons in the fire that were more pressing and were planned earlier. This allowed me to operate and lead the way I really wanted. In short, it allowed me to present my true self. Finally, this got me noticed.

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4. Anticipate change and get ahead

As a child, I was taught to have tremendous respect for authority. At some point, I realized that I saw myself as nothing more than an employee or researcher of my boss whose only responsibility was to carry out the direction from above – so I began to think of myself as more partner or ally of my boss.

Instead of waiting to be asked to do the next big “thing,” I worked hard to understand the business and the landscape enough to anticipate what the next big “thing” might be. I formed solutions around my predictions, requested time on my boss's calendars, and bent their ears to my ideas. I would ask permission run experiments and make some changes. Then, I would execute my vision and return with a report of my findings. Sometimes this led to more widespread changes that affected more than just my separation. This earned me a reputation for being flexible and adaptable. Since many organizations are focused on change, this skill is often valued. It later gave me opportunities to launch or pilot new initiatives, and this experience turned out to be extremely valuable.

In all of these examples, the key was to focus less on “fitting in” and more on “standing out.” It's amazing how many of us will be seen as top leaders when we just start acting like top leaders. Instead of waiting to be “asked” to do things, you are proactive and figure out how to get yourself involved first. While it's scary at times, taking chances like these often help you set yourself apart.