CEOs and senior executives have two important leadership functions -- ensuring strategies are executed well, and developing a team of leaders in the organization. Middle managers, aspiring to become senior executives, can help them exercise their leadership development function by following these tips:

• Never criticize senior management in public, particularly with other colleagues. If you have concerns, express them in private with the senior managers, or if absolutely necessary, with their superiors, unless the issue is one of illegality or immoral and unethical behavior.
• Stop being openly competitive with your management colleagues. Demonstrate that you are a team player, and not just looking out for yourself.
• Keep your work and your commitments. This means both being careful about the promises you make, and following that old advice--"underpromise and overdeliver." 
• Speak and act in accordance with your core values. Shifting your position for political expediency based on what you think will serve you best reflects an unprincipled and unpredictable person.
•  Take personal responsibility for mistakes. Don't try to blame others and circumstances.
•  Tell the truth to senior management. One of the biggest problems for CEOs is their subordinates don't give honest feedback in an attempt to look good or get ahead.
•  Recognize senior executives' humanity. They're just as vulnerable to negative emotions such as anger, anxiety and fear as you may be.
• Understand the importance of perspective. Events and circumstances just are. Whether you perceive them to be negative or positive is a matter of choice. Learn how to reframe what you may initially view as something negative into a positive opportunity.
•  Be the master of your emotions. Emotional and social intelligence is the mark of superior leaders.
•  Maintain a sense of humor. The sky can't be falling all the time.