女性应该如何登上高管层？

    《财富》最具影响力女性内部论坛（MPW Insider）是一个在线社区，由几位由最赫赫有名的商界人物坐镇，她们会在论坛上及时回答关于职业生涯和领导力的问题。本周我们的问题是：女性应当如何登上高管层？以下的回答来自于金宝汤公司（Campbell Soup Company）的首席执行官兼总裁丹尼斯•莫里森。

    我来自于打破职场女性晋升障碍的那一代。我们没有坐等那个障碍自己消失。在这个过程中，我学到的经验是：在追求职业发展的过程中，你需要自己去跨越那些障碍。以下是我的建议：

    为自己发声

    设立远大的目标，不要害怕说出来，并努力向目标迈进。首先你需要知道目标在哪，才能实现目标。在心中确立自己的目标十分重要。想好关键的路怎么走——做出战略性的生涯规划，梳理你过去的经历，现在的境况，将来的方向，以及谁能帮助你达成目标。

    别怕走弯路

    我的职业道路是一条“之”字型弯路，而不是笔直的梯子。在职业生涯的初期，我建立了一个职业追踪表，从各方面回顾我的进步历程，比如担负的责任大小与范围、直接下属的人数和盈亏责任。它帮我确定了要培养的技能和经验上的欠缺之处，而我则会把握具有挑战性的机遇，弥补这些差距，从而做好扮演高管角色的准备。比如说，在职业道路的某个阶段，我被派去领导销售和营销部门，与此同时还要经营一家制造工厂。这实在是一段曲折的经历，但却帮助我在舒适区之外获得了关于供应链的宝贵经验，培养了关键的领导能力。

    建立人际网络

    维护得当的人际网络十分管用，具有惊人的战略意义。如果不努力工作并带来产出，你无法成为首席执行官，但它也只能帮你到这里。与顾问和赞助商建立并保持牢固联系，会带你走完剩下的路。列出你想要会见的人的名单，再找出那些现有人际网中能给你提供必要帮助的人。

    加入董事会

    我认为，这对于增加各方面的领导经验相当重要。要了解董事会和他们的委员会如何运作，可以自愿加入一个你感兴趣的非盈利董事会。我采用的就是这种方式，而这段经历帮助我赢得了首次公开董事任命。成为董事会的董事，会让你以不同的视角来看待领导和公司管理规定。我目前是大都会人寿公司（MetLife）的董事会成员，这段经历是无价之宝。

    确立个人使命

    受到史蒂芬•柯维的著作《高效能人士的七个习惯》（Seven Habits of Highly Effective People）的启发，我确立了自己的使命。它指引着我一路迈向首席执行官的位置。我的使命是：以领袖的标准要求自己，保持生活和谐，坚守道德准则，力争出类拔萃。我相信，领导就是为其他人服务。我始终按照自己定下的使命迈向高管层，这让一切都变得不同。（财富中文网）

    丹尼斯•莫里森是金宝汤公司的首席执行官兼总裁。

    译者：严匡正

    MPW Insider is one of several online communities where the biggest names in business answer timely career and leadership questions. This week we ask: How can women rise to the C-suite? The following answer is by Denise Morrison, President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company.

    I’m from a generation of women that shattered the glass ceiling. We didn’t wait for doors to open. The lesson I learned is that you need to open some doors for yourself in pursuit of career advancement. Here’s what I suggest:

    Declare yourself

    Set ambitious goals and don’t be afraid to declare and aim for them. You need to know where you want to go in order to get there. It is important to have a destination in mind. Devise a critical pathway – a strategic career plan that maps out where you’ve been, where you are now, where you’re going and who can help you get there.

    Don’t be afraid to zigzag

    I describe my career path as a zigzag, not a ladder. Early in my career, I created a career tracker to review my progression horizontally across multiple dimensions such as size and scope of responsibility, number of direct reports and P&L responsibility. It helped me identify skillsbuilt, as well as gaps in my experience, which I sought to fill by pursuing challenging opportunities that would prepare me for senior leadership roles. For example, at one point in my career I was assigned to lead sales and marketing, while operating in a manufacturing plant. It was a true zigzag that helped me gain valuable supply chain experience and foster critical leadership development in an area that was out of my comfort zone.

    Networking is working

    When done correctly, networking is working and it can be incredibly strategic. You can’t become a CEO without working hard and delivering results, but that will only take you so far. Building and leveraging strong relationships with mentors and sponsors will take you the rest of the way. Identify a short list of people that you want to meet and then identify the people in your existing network that can facilitate the necessary introductions.

    Serve on a board

    I believe it’s important to gain leadership experience on multiple fronts. A great way to learn about how boards and their committees operate is to volunteer to serve on a nonprofit board that is doing work you are passionate about. I took this approach and it was instrumental in enabling me to pursue my first public board appointment. Being a director on a board provides a different perspective on leadership and the discipline of corporate governance. I currently serve on the MetLife board and the experience is invaluable.

    Create a personal mission statement

    Inspired by Steven Covey’s book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, I created a personal mission statement that became a compass on my path to becoming a CEO. My mission is: To serve as a leader, live a balanced life, and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference. I believe leadership is service to others. I’ve stayed true to this mission on the road to the C-suite, and that has made all the difference.

    Denise Morrison, CEO and President of Campbell Soup Company.