Welcome to the C-suite! Though the stakes are higher than ever, so, too, is your potential to produce an even greater impact for your organization, colleagues, and customers.

More than 30 current or former C-suite executive members and advisors of World 50 Group told us about their early tenures in the job, as well as their reflections on one question:

What do you wish you had known in your first year in the C-suite?

Members and advisors revealed that—though expectations vary based on function, company, and industry—there are several common themes linked to success: listening to stakeholders, clarifying priorities, strengthening teams, elevating your thinking for enterprise-level decisions, and engaging with boards of directors.

“You have been promoted, so you need to promote yourself in your own head,” said Andy Pharaoh, vice president of corporate affairs and sustainability at Mars. Your track record has proven to the CEO and board that you’re ready for enterprise leadership, but the skills needed to excel at the C-suite level are often novel ones. It’s something we heard often in our conversations: What got you here should give you the confidence that you belong here—but there’s still a lot to learn.

Let’s get started.