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ZDNET Highlights
- The rise of AI means it may be harder to reach management positions.
- Excellent candidates take advantage of opportunities and learn from mistakes.
- The best managers are ambitious, collaborative and growth-oriented.
Your career ambitions are set – 2026 is the year you will advance into management positions. However, evidence suggests that the hard work has only just begun.
Tech analyst Gartner has predicted this 20% of companies will use AI to streamline their organizational structures by 2026Eliminating more than half of the current middle management positions.
Also: Turn AI chaos into a career opportunity by preparing for these 4 scenarios
If you have your eye on one of the remaining management positions, you need to find a way to stand out from your competitors. Here are five ways to prove that you’re ready to be a manager.
1. Learn from your mistakes
Paul Neville, director of digital, data and technology at UK agency The Pensions Regulator (TPR), said his best advice for managers who want to climb the ladder is persistence.
He said, “I always wanted this job – I worked for it.” “If you want to climb the ladder, you have to try things that are outside your comfort zone, which I certainly have. That means I’ve made mistakes along the way.”
Neville told ZDNET that he learned from those mistakes, which helped build his experience and make him a reliable presence at the top table.
Also: 5 ways to climb the IT career ladder in 2026, according to the people who made it
Another important element to consider is the rate of change in the AI era. Neville said smart and emerging professionals recognize the importance of continuous learning and embracing change.
“Take a long-term view, but take advantage of the opportunities that arise,” he said. “The young people I meet who can do this are incredibly impressive.”
Neville said TPR runs an annual program where the organization brings together young people from challenging socio-economic environments.
“I recently went to talk to this group, and they are so impressive because they are able to learn, take advantage of opportunities, and tell a story about what they can add to the organization.”
2. Emphasize positivity
Bev White, president of Nash Squared, a global technology and talent solutions provider, said one way to grow and become an effective manager is to emphasize the positive.
“People are more attracted to positive attitudes than negative ones or fear,” he said. “Boards are no different. What excites executives in the boardroom is ambition and growth strategies.”
Also: 6 Ways to Become a Successful First-Time Manager
White told ZDNET that those who want to become the next generation of managers should emphasize the improvements that a new project or investment can bring to the business.
Although there is a place to highlight the downsides and risks, managers will be more effective if the negatives are interspersed with the positives rather than being the main topic for discussion.
“You’re more likely to win the engagement,” she said. “Focus on how your offering or strategy enhances the customer experience, improves customer-centricity, increases productivity, increases margins, or makes the business more efficient.”
3. Break down silos
Mark Ward, head of identity and access management at financial services firm Legal & General, has had a varied career, including senior roles in test management, service integration, transition management and service delivery management.
Ward told ZDNET that the key to leading people to achieve their goals is to understand broader organizational objectives.
“I like to learn about all the systems and people and businesses that are consuming that service,” he said.
Ward told ZDNET that emerging professionals should aim to break down silos, especially in technology, where workers can focus on tasks within their department, not worry about struggling to get work done across organizational functions.
“We shouldn’t have silos anymore,” he said. “You’ve got security, traditional infrastructure and operations, and then you’ve got other areas like service desk and vulnerability management. Often, they’re all separate.”
Also: Fear of AI job cuts? 5 Ways to Future-Procure Your Career – Before It’s Too Late
Ward said this confinement could extend to relationships beyond the IT department. Effective professionals learn to become managers by working at different levels.
“Business and technology are often still quite separate. However, your success will depend on getting closer to the business,” he said.
“For example, in finance, you don’t need to know everything about pensions, but you do need to know the foundation of where people are going in this area and their strategy. Knowing those things can help you understand where you can support that competency.”
4. Aim to keep growing
Manish Jethwa, CTO of UK mapping agency Ordnance Survey (OS), said that becoming an effective manager means developing as a professional: “You have to know that everyone is an incomplete article.”
He cited the example of OS CEO Nick Bolton, who has reached the top of the executive hierarchy ladder but still recognizes opportunities for personal development.
“Nick is very good at this, because if you have someone who is at the top, and also saying, ‘I’m rising to do something,’ and can be open, honest, and vulnerable about that process, then I think that approach enables everyone to share in that vulnerability and say, ‘If Nick is rising to do something, we’re all rising to do something, and none of us are the final article.'”
Also: 5 Ways to Escape Middle Management and Speed Up Your Journey to the Top
Jethwa told ZDNET that emerging managers should adopt a similar cultural mindset by being open to change and growth.
“You must consistently demonstrate that leadership ability,” he said. “In my team, we often read books and discuss outcomes where we are trying to lead and learn about leadership culture. We think about creating a high-performance culture within the organization and evolving our way of working as a result of that process.”
5. Empower your staff
Ian Ruffle, head of data and insight at UK auto breakdown specialist RAC, said successful managers adopt solid working practices – they work hard, are flexible, and know when to step away from their desk.
He said, “I have a good work ethic. I’m not afraid of hard work. If I know I’m going to have a busy day, I’ll wake up early and have a good, positive start to the day to overcome challenges.”
“And I also think good discipline around working practices is important, especially when you’re working at home in a hybrid model. Don’t leave your PC in the corner. Turn it off.”
Also: Climbing the career ladder? 5 Secrets to Building Resilience From Leaders Who Were Once in Your Position
Ruffle told ZDNET that successful managers also support and empower their teams. Managers who excel in these areas become the leaders of tomorrow.
“I’ve spent a lot of my career doing technical things. In recent years, I’ve recognized the importance of the people around you – taking care of them, empowering them and trusting them,” he said.
“This approach allows you to achieve much more than you would ever be able to do on your own if you get to those pinch points. You have to rely on the support structure around you and the people you put in place.”
