Imagine this scenario: you are recruited as one of the executives in a reputed multinational corporation and you have a lot of responsibilities. You are ambitious and want to soar high. Ambition is always a good quality but without the right amount of attitude, ethics and enterprise, you can easily traverse down the wrong direction sooner than later.

You need to have a mix of talent, tact, attitude, enterprise and opportunism to go up which is known as the corporate ladder. Corporate world brings before you new set of challenges everyday and you are evaluated on how well you accept and face the challenges.

Are there any set rules for climbing up the corporate ladder? There have been a lot of training sessions and seminars and lots of books and articles have been written on this topic. Each expresses a different opinion. However, there are certain set principles which can really help you.

Perform well: You need to be top performer in your area. You must be able to show tangible and consistent results in your chosen area of operation. Top performers have always had a special place in meritocracy and you will be no different. Also, top performance will instill a great deal of self confidence that no other workshop or motivational class can do to you.

Be a good planner: You need to plan your work and work your plan well to move up the corporate ladder. You need to have good foresight so that you can see the future of a business well and plan ahead for the opportunities and the bump that might come in your way.

Take that extra initiative: Volunteer to take up new initiatives beyond your regular area of operations. Put your hands up and say that you are going to do a specified set of tasks to improve the performance of a department. Objectively and tangibly show how the company can benefit from this initiative of yours. This is a great step to get highlighted and move up the corporate ladder.

Be the go-to person: Become the authority in any one area. People, when in trouble, must run to you for ideas to crack a specific problem. For example, if you are the most knowledgeable person in terms of software installation, then you will be flooded by enquiries on software installation. You are also, I the process, making yourself indispensable. This is another great way to climb up the corporate ladder.

However, all these measures might not necessarily ensure the position of a Chief Executive Officer for you. But if you persist with these principles, you are sure to reach somewhere significant in your career someday and will be noted for your achievements.