Here is an article written by Steve Tobak for CBS MoneyWatch, the CBS Interactive Business Network. To check out an abundance of valuable resources and obtain a free subscription to one or more of the website’s newsletters, please click here.

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(MoneyWatch) COMMENTARY Want to know what really sets rising stars apart from the pack? In much the same way that some drugs have benefits beyond their initial intended use, some managers benefit their companies far above and beyond their direct responsibilities.

The same can be said of inventions, innovations, and products. They often take off and go viral based on a use nobody thought of or an unintended feature. Likewise, employees can become stars by solving big problems or delivering big results that go well beyond their job titles.

I like to call it “above-and-beyondness.” Make no mistake, that quality is often the only difference between a life-long middle manager and a rising star executive.

Just take IBM CFO Mark Loughridge, for example. Recently, The Wall Street Journal ranked him No. 1 on a list of the country’s best chief financial officers. Why? Beyond all the usual responsibilities of a Fortune 50 finance chief, he managed to successfully and methodically integrate dozens of acquired companies since becoming CFO in 2004.

Loughridge also played a leading role in developing, communicating, and driving IBM’s strategic roadmap. Not only is it rare to find a CFO who can simplify and explain where a company as big and complex as IBM is heading, but Loughridge also drove the execution of IBM’s strategy across the company’s divisions.

I’ve known quite a few managers like Loughridge over the years. They surprise you. You find yourself saying things like, “Wow, he’s pretty dynamic and articulate for a bean-counter!” Down the road, when you find out they’ve become top executives, you’re never surprised.

That sort of above-and-beyondness comes down to a unique combination of three factors:

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Steve Tobak is a consultant and former high-tech senior executive. He’s managing partner of Invisor Consulting, a management consulting and business strategy firm. Contact Steve at the firm, follow him on Facebook, or connect on LinkedIn. To read Steve’s other articles, please click here.