In the last decade, we’ve seen the ascent of several young CEOs. Their meteoric rise and the stories behind them have been chronicled in business and pop culture landscapes — from movies like The Social Network, depicting Mark Zuckerberg’s launch of Facebook at 27, to in-depth profiles in Vanity Fair and Vogue detailing Emily Weiss’ entrepreneurial journey with Glossier. These trailblazers appear to hail from nimble and progressive sectors, where trends and innovations must quickly evolve to meet the needs of younger generations entering the market. In tech and consumer goods, potential, risk, and youth are often held in high regard.

We seldomly see CEOs below the age of 45 in industries that are more risk averse and structured. In biopharma, along with financial services, health care and energy, investors seem to favor industry veterans with extensive expertise. Given the highly regulated nature of these fields, experience tends to trump other qualifying factors when it comes to leadership roles.

If you’re an ambitious young professional working in a risk-averse industry, will you have to wait decades to reach the top?

The short answer is: Not always. There are a handful of young leaders who have beat the odds. Sarah M. London was named CEO of Centene, a Fortune 500 health insurance company, at the age of 41. At the same age, Matthew J. Meloy achieved remarkable success at Targa Resources, one of the largest midstream infrastructure companies in North America. Hassane S. El-Khoury became CEO of ON Semiconductor, a company bringing in an estimated $7 billion in annual revenue today, at the age of 39.

So, how did these exceptional candidates do it? Using biopharma — a sector with CEOs at a median age of 54 — as a case study, I interviewed four leaders in the industry (one of whom is my colleague at Agenus) who have successfully ascended to the C-suite at an early age. Their advice can be applied to anyone looking to fast track their career.

Here are four lessons they shared.

Be accountable for the business.

Given their comparatively limited experience, young professionals often find it more challenging to step outside of their designated roles — either due to self-doubt or a fear of stepping on other people’s toes. They can easily become siloed in their departments as a result.

But the earlier you break out of that silo, the faster you can develop a broader sense of how your organization works. Abe Ceesay, CEO of Rapport Therapeutics, calls this skill “enterprise leadership,” and says it’s critical for anyone looking to reach the C-suite. It was what helped him in successfully closing a recent $150M Series B funding round.

While Ceesay achieved his first chief executive role at 38 as chief operating officer of scPharmaceuticals, he began his career at Genzyme (now Sanofi Genzyme). As a key member of the marketing team, he was intentional about taking accountability not only for his own work but also for the adjacent work that supported his broader goals. Ceesay was supporting the global launch strategy for a new kidney drug, and he understood that his success would depend on the success of other teams throughout the organization — including drug development, sales, patient services, medical affairs and manufacturing, among others.

Ceesay knew that if he could understand how his role impacted or overlapped with the goals of senior leaders in other departments, he would be able to do his job more effectively and gain visibility. To start, he set up one-on-one meetings with functional leads on other teams. He asked questions about their roles, responsibilities, and goals with the intention of better understanding how their priorities and tasks would overlap during his project. Then, he listened more than he talked.

His good intent made the functional leads feel empowered to express themselves candidly, without getting defensive or competitive. In the end, Ceesay was able to form deeper connections and was seen as a team player interested in helping people across the organization achieve their goals.

Whatever industry you’re in, executing your goals with the intention of driving success throughout your entire enterprise, and not just for yourself individually, will set you apart from your peers. Like Ceesay, when you put that level of accountability onto yourself, you’ll end up having more “skin in the game” because you’ll be pushed to actively collaborate with people in positions of power. The exposure to different teams will not only expand your network and understanding of the business, but it will also teach you how to be a valuable thought partner, setting the stage for your success in future leadership roles.

Ceesay believes this approach was a foundational experience in his ascent to C-suite roles and the philosophy of enterprise leadership remains a key tenet to his approach today as a CEO.

Use silence to your advantage.

Having the ability to influence others and convince them that your ideas are valuable is a skill that will benefit any young professional. Whether addressing an audience, participating in team meetings, or navigating negotiations — persuasive communication can help you appear more confident and realize the outcomes you want to achieve, especially in situations where you must influence people with more power than yourself. One key component of persuasive communication that isn’t explored enough, but that can really amplify your success, is the strategic use of silence.

When you’re brave enough to speak up at work and your words are met with a hushed room, it’s naturally going to be uncomfortable. You may initially question your own competence or the worth of your ideas. But Julie DeSander, chief business officer at Agenus, where I work, advises against reacting reflexively. Instead, she suggests taking a moment to pause and embrace the silence.

DeSander rose to her first C-level position at 39 and has led closure of transactions totaling $3.7B+ in value so far in her career. She told me that she often sees young professionals react defensively when they are faced with skepticism about their expertise and/or work output. Many people counter such skepticism by either rephrasing their original thoughts or introducing more information. This can dilute their message, compromise their level of influence, and potentially cause more confusion.

When trying to persuade someone to listen to your ideas, DeSander says to focus on your most compelling argument and be comfortable with a moment of silence after delivering it. Don’t rush to fill the void.

Whether you find yourself in your next negotiation, pitch meeting, or presentation, using silence strategically can be a powerful tactic. DeSander says it has given her an edge in the transactions and deals she has led by helping to create tension and encouraging the other party to reveal more information during her negotiations. It also provided her with time to come up with thoughtful responses to difficult questions or even deflective with responses such as, “Great question. Let me look into it and follow up after this meeting.”

When you remain composed and keep a solutions-based mindset, you showcase your potential as a leader ready for the C-suite.

Cultivate a network of fellow rising stars.

“It’s lonely at the top” takes on new meaning when you’re the youngest executive in the room. As you move up the corporate ladder, you may start to feel the generational divides grow even wider between yourself and the seasoned leaders who are now your peers. With five generations converging in the U.S. workforce, intergenerational differences can cause tension. That’s why developing a network of colleagues is so valuable. They can serve as allies and offer you advice as you grow in your career.

Erin Mistry, the EVP and chief commercial officer of CorMedix, rose to her first C-level position at 40 having launched greater than 20 products across different therapeutic areas. She emphasizes the importance of cultivating a network of “fellow rising stars” on your way to the C-suite. These are people who can evolve alongside you — both inside and outside of your industry. Mistry recommends proactively identifying and reaching out to peers in middle management positions, or positions right under the role you see yourself securing in a couple of years. Similarly, if you have mentors in leadership roles, connect with their direct reports and build a rapport with them, as they are likely being primed for higher-level opportunities.

Deepen those relationships through mutual community involvement. Attend industry events, engage in volunteer work, or pick up shared hobbies. Be accessible and have reciprocity. Ask people where and how you can help them. People who can lift their head from their daily to-do lists, see the bigger picture, and start connecting with other aspiring leaders will end up rising faster, together.

Mistry’s secret weapon was her ability to broaden her network across an ecosystem, connecting with rising leaders in venture capital, private equity, start-up organizations, and other companies of different sizes and stages. Those relationships helped her develop as a leader and thought partner with a deep understanding of how skills and strategies are applicable across various fields. Mistry’s ability to quickly connect the dots between different ideas to reach solutions makes her a successful executive today.

As you actively build this network of peers, and as they progress into senior leadership roles, you’ll be gifted with a supportive community equipped to help you navigate challenges that more seasoned executives may feel less connected to.

Learn when to build and deploy social capital.

In an ideal world, career advancement would be solely based on merit. However, the more time you spend in the corporate world, the more you’ll notice this is not the reality. You need to be able to navigate, and participate in, office politics whether you like it or not. This involves understanding who the decision-makers are across your organization, what their goals, values, and motivations are, where their allies and enemies lie, and who they may (unfairly) favor. One way of doing this successfully is to learn when to build social capital up, down, and across the business, as well as when to use it to get what you want.

Susan Altschuller, the current chief financial officer of Cerevel, earned her first C-suite position at the age of 39 when she became the CFO of Immunogen. She led the recently announced sale of Cervel to Abbvie for $8.7B. She advises finding opportunities to step up unexpectedly — such as when a colleague suddenly departs, leaving a gap within the team. It can be beneficial to step up and fill that void quickly, even if it falls outside your usual scope of responsibilities. This may entail temporarily shouldering someone else’s workload until a quick transition plan can be established.

In high-pressure situations like these, your willingness to take on the smallest, seemingly mundane tasks — or tasks you feel won’t contribute to your overall growth — will be remembered long after the storm has passed. Even if your actions initially go unnoticed, making a good impression with your boss, or boss’s boss can help you build a strong reputation among leaders in the organization.

During periods of stability — when competition for exciting opportunities may be fierce — you can use the social capital you’ve accumulated to give you a leg up. This might involve reaching out to a leader you’ve proven yourself to in the past and asking for a compelling recommendation to support your candidacy.

Understanding when to acquire, conserve, and spend social capital is a lesson that varies from person to person. Unlike more technical skills that can be studied and perfected through books and tutorials, this is an art that is refined through experience. It took Altschuller years of navigating healthy and unhealthy workplaces to refine it. Earlier in her career, she didn’t feel it was important to participate in office politics, but now realizes that the sooner you master the strategic use of social capital, the faster your career can flourish. It can make all the difference in achieving your professional goals sooner.

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While many industries still favor more veteran leaders, the rise of young, diverse executives is challenging this paradigm. This evolving landscape demands a broader perspective on the qualifications necessary for effective leadership, where the fusion of youthful energy and seasoned expertise may hold the key to driving innovation forward. The journey to the C-suite may not follow a linear path in every industry, but as a young professional, it is possible to stand out and accelerate your journey to the top.