How to Become a Customer Success Leader

I’m going to be very blunt here. Getting my first management role in Customer Success was extremely difficult. It was 10 years after I started in Customer Success that I was eventually promoted to VP. This was no easy or simple feat. The mental punishment I absorbed over the years could have overwhelmed me. It did the opposite. It pushed me, as it still does today to work harder, reach higher and never stop learning.

Beyond having the necessary drive and grit, there are some things to keep in mind for those that want to move into Customer Success leadership roles (or any leadership roles) that helped me along this journey. I had the pleasure of sharing them at Totango’s Customer Success Summit and have “briefly” summarized them here.

Top 10 things you need to do to move into a CS leadership role

I’ve tried to highlight ten tangible things that you can do to help ascend in your career. I’ve also provided examples from my own successes and struggles. As you read through these, you’ll see how interrelated they are. I hope you find them useful.

Find the gaps and fill them