Get the latest tech news

The path to GM: some thoughts on becoming a general manager (2005)

-- some thoughts on becoming a general manager The recruiting season is getting underway and shortly we’ll be “at a college near you” looking to connect. I will be at Harvard Business School the first week of October, where I’ll visit some classes and also participate in a career fair.

A lot of folks will go to the human resources group for this type of advice, and while that can be a good data point, I would suggest that you want to find someone you admire or respect who has come from a similar path you are currently on. If you have the right mindset and stay focused on excellence, my experience is that the company will recognize this and the right person will connect with the right organization and the right time—and in the end, as Mike Maples said about management, the cream will rise to the top and the right things happen for everyone. I was in a situation where an old advertising company who I worked for as a sales manager 12 years ago, was bought to a multi-million dollar ad agency and requested I stay on board to become a GM for my terriorty.

Get the Android app