How to Tell Your Boss You Want a Leadership Role - The Muse

How to Tell Your Boss You Want a Leadership Role - The MuseHow to Tell Your Boss You Want a Leadership Role Dear Candid Boss,How can I approach my current leader to see if I would be considered for a formal leadership role in the future? How do I start that conversation in a way that makes me seem qualified- and not just pushy or impatient?Signed,Eager to GrowDear Eager to Grow,I know that this conversation can seem nerve-wracking, but remember that its also exciting Youre thinking about taking the next step in your career and a good manager will be equally enthusiastic about your hunger for growth. When starting this conversation, the key thing is to not only explain the fact that youre interested in management, but also why youre interested. If you can prove that you understand what the job is, why you would enjoy it, provide evidence that you would be good at it, and explain you can have more impact for the kollektiv as a manager than you do in your current role, your promotion to leadership will actually solve problems for your boss- not create them (that is, assuming theres a role available to promote you to). But before you get into that, you need to ask yourself Do you want to be a manager for the sake of a more prestigious title, or do you really want to do the things that managers do? Youll be persuasive if you can show that you understand what managers are actually responsible for, and that you are eager to do those things yourself. But if all you really want is more control, more money, or just the bragging rights, your boss will quickly pick up on your intentions and youll risk undermining your credibility. Remember, managers have a lot on their plate- and those duties arent always fun. As a leader, youll actively solicit criticism from your team members. Youll give formal performance reviews. Youll be held accountable for other peoples results- which means youll often have accountability without control. For some people, all of that sounds exciting and meaningful. For others, that sounds like a living hell. Management is important, but its certainly not the only path to major impact. Its a rewarding route, but its also a hard one- so make sure the day-to-day of the job sounds appealing to you before approaching your boss to discuss moving up in the ranks. Do that, and youre far more likely to have a great conversation.Good luck to youThis article is part of our monthly Ask an Expert series- a column dedicated to helping you tackle your biggest career concerns. Our coaches are excited to answer all of your burning questions, and you can submit one by emailing us at editor(at)themuse(dot)com and using Ask a Candid Boss in the subject line.Your letter may be published in an article on The Muse. All letters to Ask a Expert become the property of Daily Muse, Inc and will be edited for length, clarity, and grammatical correctness.