Ready to be a manager? 5 ways to prove you deserve the job

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• The rise of AI means reaching a management position can be tough.
• Outstanding candidates grab opportunities and learn from mistakes.
• The best managers are ambitious, collaborative, and growth-oriented.

Your career ambition is set -- 2026 is the year you'll move into a management position. However, evidence suggests the hard work has only just begun.

Tech analyst Gartner predicts that 20% of companies will flatten their organizational structures using AI through 2026, eliminating more than half of current middle management positions.

Also: Turn AI chaos into a career opportunity by preparing for these 4 scenarios

If you've got an eye on one of the remaining management positions, you'll need to find a way to stand out from your competitors. Here are five ways to prove you're ready to become 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-practice tip for managers who want to climb the ladder is persistence.

"I always wanted this job -- I worked towards it," he said. "If you want to climb the ladder, you've got 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 he learned from those mistakes, which helped build his experience and made him a credible presence at the top table.

Also: 5 ways to climb the IT career ladder in 2026, according to those who made it

Another crucial element to consider is the rate of change in the AI era. Neville said smart up-and-coming professionals recognize the importance of ongoing learning and adapting to change.

"Have a long-term vision, but grab the opportunity in front of you," he said. "The young people I meet who can do that are incredibly impressive."

Neville said TPR runs an annual program where the organization brings in younger people from challenged socio-economic environments.

"I went to talk to this group recently, and they are so impressive because they're able to learn, take opportunities, and also tell a story about what they could add to the organization."

2. Stress the positives

Bev White, chair at global technology and talent solutions provider Nash Squared, said that one way to grow and become an effective manager is to stress the positives.

"People are persuaded more by positive visions than they are by negatives or fears," she said. "Boards are no different. What excites executives in the boardroom is ambition and strategies for growth."

Also: 6 ways to be a successful first-time manager

White told ZDNET that people who want to become next-generation managers must stress the enhancements that a new project or investment can bring to the business.

While there's a place for raising downsides and risks, managers will be much more effective if negatives are sandwiched between the positives rather than being the lead topic for discussion.

"You're much more likely to win engagement," she said. "Focus on how your proposal or strategy enhances the customer experience, improves customer-centricity, raises productivity, increases margin, 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 understanding the broader organizational objectives.

"I like to know all about the systems and the people and the business that are consuming that service," he said.

Ward told ZDNET that up-and-coming professionals should aim to break down silos, particularly in technology, where workers can stay focused on tasks within their own department, never mind struggling to work across organizational functions.

"We shouldn't have silos anymore," he said. "You've got security, traditional infrastructure and operations, and then you've got service desks, and other areas, like vulnerability management. Often, they're all separate."

Also: Dreading AI job cuts? 5 ways to future-proof your career - before it's too late

Ward said this confinement can spread to relationships beyond the IT department. Effective professionals learn to become managers by working across divides.

"Business and technology are often still quite separate. However, your success will depend on getting close to the business," he said.

"In finance, for example, you don't have to know everything about pensions, but you need to know the foundations of where people in this area are going and their strategy. Knowing those things can help you understand where you can support that enablement."

4. Aim to keep growing

Manish Jethwa, CTO at UK mapping agency Ordnance Survey (OS), said that becoming an effective manager is all about growing as a professional: "You have to know that everyone is the unfinished article."

He referred to the example of OS CEO Nick Bolton, who has reached the top of the executive hierarchy ladder but still recognizes opportunities for personal growth.

"Nick is great with this, because if you've got somebody who's at the top of the head table, and is also saying, 'I've got growing to do,' and can be open, honest, and vulnerable about that process, then I think that approach allows everyone to be able to share in that vulnerability and say, 'If Nick's got growing to do, then we've all got growing to do, and none of us are the finished article.'"

Also: 5 ways to escape middle management and fast-track your journey to the top

Jethwa told ZDNET that up-and-coming managers must adopt a similar cultural mindset, staying open to change and growth.

"You should continuously flex that leadership muscle," he said. "In my team, we often read books and discuss outcomes, where we're trying to lead and learn about leadership culture. We think about building a high-performing 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 that successful managers adopt solid working practices -- they work hard, are resilient, and know when to step away from their desks.

"I've got a good work ethic. I'm not scared of a bit of hard work. If I know I'm going to have a busy day, I'll get up early and make a good, positive start to the day to get on top of the challenges," he said.

"And I also think good discipline around working practices, particularly when you're working at home in a hybrid model, is crucial. Don't just leave your PC on in the corner. Turn it off."

Also: Climbing the career ladder? 5 secrets to building resilience from leaders who were once in your shoes

Ruffle told ZDNET that successful managers also support and empower their teams. Managers who excel in these areas become tomorrow's leaders.

"I have spent a lot of my career doing quite technical things. Over recent years, I've recognized the importance of the people around you -- caring for them, empowering them, and trusting them," he said.

"This approach allows you to achieve a whole lot more than you'd be able to ever do by yourself when you get those pinch points. You should be leaning on the support structure around you and the people that you've put in place."