The way to break free from the IC mold generally takes a combination of a few things: 1. Interest in growing which you make known to those above you. 2. Avail

The way to break free from the IC mold generally takes a combination of a few things: 1. Interest in growing which you make known to those above you. 2. Available positions (hard to grow into a manager when there is no manager role available or budget to support one) 3. Understanding the difference between "strategy" and "tactics." They mean very different things, and as a manager, depending on the size company, you may be responsible for setting the strategy while your team executes on tactics. 4. A demonstrated willingness and ability to put the company first and protect it. There is a lot of debate on this one and what it means, but generally those who do this get ahead faster than ones who don't, regardless of your viewpoints on whether that is right or not. 5. A growing focus on process and where you team fits in with the rest of the company. By focusing on this, you can find ways to improve team efficiency and performance, and better interface with other departments. As a manager, your job is literally to improve the efficiency and performance of your team and be the glue to other teams.