I am often asked about my own corporate career path and how I made the successful transition from manager to executive. There is, of course, no one answer or formula for success. Everyone has their own story about how they navigated their way to the top. Some women may claim it’s luck; being in the right place at the right time. Some may say it took hard work and long hours. I do believe there is some commonality to all the stories and a critical piece to becoming a leader is first understanding yourself and defining a clear vision or goal.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Who am I? What really matters to me? What am I passionate about?
2. What are my strengths? How can I build on these strengths to reach my goal?
3. What is my career goal? What is my time frame for achieving this goal? Is it realistic?
4. What skills do I need to achieve this goal? Do I have these skills? Do I need to improve my skills? What resources are available for me?
5. What methodology or action plan do I need to adopt to move forward consistently toward my goal?

Armed with a thorough understanding of yourself and a clear vision of where you want to go, set your intentions and lead yourself to success.