The Biggest Mistake Leaders Make When Preparing For A CXO Role
I’ve seen this happen many times. Leaders aiming for CXO roles work hard, deliver on time, take on more responsibility, and keep building their skills. Everything they do is focused on getting ready for a CXO position.
One of my recent clients went through this himself. He did everything right but was still turned down for CXO roles. Feeling frustrated, he came to me for help.
As we talked about his journey, a clear pattern showed up. He was doing everything right for his current job, but he wasn’t changing anything for the next level he wanted. He thought CXO roles is about honing management skills. But these roles demand a fundamental shift: success as a manager alone isn’t enough. CXO positions require a new level of leadership thinking and, above all, new behaviors.
This is where most people make their biggest mistake.
Most leaders don’t change how they act when aiming for a CXO role.
They keep doing what made them successful as senior managers. They stay involved in day-to-day work, keep solving problems themselves, and remain the main expert in their area. Their focus stays on making sure things get done right, on time, and within their control.
CXO roles are very different from management jobs. They need leadership at a much higher level.
Two leaders. Same level. Same pedigree. Almost identical on paper.
One got the CXO role. One didn’t.
I was one of the interviewers in the boardroom. The difference wasn’t about experience—both had plenty. It wasn’t about their track records either.
The leader who didn’t get the job talked mostly about his achievements—what he had done, delivered, fixed, and led. The conversation stayed focused on the past. just list outcomes. He revealed how he thinks.
The leader who got selected spoke differently. He didn’t just list outcomes. He revealed how he thinks. He explained how he deals with uncertainty.He shared how he makes decisions when he doesn’t have all the information. How he balances speed.
In short, one focused on what he had done before, while the other showed us how he would handle important situations in the future.
At the CXO level, how you think and behave sets you apart and leads to success.
Boards aren’t just looking for a history of getting things done. They want to see good judgment for the future.
At the CXO level, you are no longer evaluated for how well you manage a function. You are evaluated for how well you think across the enterprise. You are not hired to execute better than others. You are hired to shape direction, influence outcomes, and lead through complexity.
What organizations are really looking for at the CXO level is behavioural evidence of enterprise leadership.
Do you think beyond your function?
Do you influence decisions across the organization?
Do you elevate conversations to strategy instead of execution?
Do you create clarity in ambiguity?
Do you carry the quiet confidence that allows you to hold your ground without being defensive?
Do you operate from conviction—or from constant validation?
Do you trust your judgment enough to act before consensus fully forms?
Do they have a large amount of self-belief?
Do you lead through people, not through personal involvement in every detail?
Do you operate as if you are already responsible for the whole business, not just your department?
These are behavioral shifts, not skill upgrades.
The leaders who successfully move into CXO roles are not necessarily the ones with the most experience or the strongest track record alone. They are the ones who begin to behave differently before they get the title. In essence, they start behaving like CXOs long before they become one.
Because at the end of the day, organizations don’t promote the most skilled managers into CXO roles. They promote leaders who already behave like CXOs.
Your Good Friend and Coach
This article was written by Payal Nanjiani for CEOWorld Magazine.
Comments