Leadership and Career Development
I alone cannot change the world,
but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
Change is all around us, occurring literally every second of our lives. Most of the time, it is so small or hidden that you don’t notice it. When you woke up this morning, your life changed at that moment, from the state of sleep to a state of being awake and fully conscious. You probably took it for granted because it’s a change that is expected. Within the physiology of the body, cells are changing, dying, and renewing themselves just to keep you alive. On the Stock Exchange, you see change in the values of different stocks and markets. Many exchanges even have a Volatility Index, or an index that measures the ‘Rate of Change’. Change is necessary, and it is always at large. Like all things, change has its ups and downs, its positives and negatives. Of course, this is always through the eyes of the person experiencing the change. If I am at the airport and suddenly my flight is changed, and as a result I will miss an important appointment, that will be viewed negatively. On the other hand, if my flight takes off on time and gets me to my destination earlier than expected, that may be perceived as a positive. When thinking about and discussing change, perception is everything.
There was, of course, a time when you left school, secured a job, and stayed with that employer for most of your working life, building a career with them, potentially doing the same thing for 40 years. While that is still a possibility today, it is more likely that your work will change several times. Indeed, there has been a belief that you might change your career three times in your working life. The caveat here is that a career change often means changing jobs within the same industry. For example, a teacher becoming an assistant principal could be considered a career change, though it is a job in the same industry.
Regarding the three career or job changes in your working life, consider this: if you entered the workforce around 20 years of age, your first career change will come around 30, the next around 40, and the final career change in your 50s, with retirement in your 60s. This is, of course, based on the assumption that you change jobs every decade and that you work in an industry where such stability is the norm. If you work in IT, for example, many would view working for the same employer for five years as long-term. Again, perspective is everything. It should be no surprise that the average number of job changes is significantly larger than the three or four changes that conventional wisdom suggests.
According to a 2023 study by the World Economic Forum (citing data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics) we will have many careers.
“We’ve all got used to changing jobs throughout our careers – American adults have held down an average of 12 by the time they’re 55. But now we’re entering an era in which most of us won’t just have one career, but many.”
Broom, Douglas. (2023). Having Many Careers Will Be The Norm, Experts Say. Geneva: Switzerland. World Economic Forum.
What should be remembered is that the average is 12. To have that as an average means there is a range of numbers both below and above 12. Some might have 3 job changes, while others might have 30; that’s how averages work.
What this really suggests is that job changes are inevitable in any career. The longer your career, the higher the probability of job changes. Whether the changes are voluntary or employer-driven, change will occur. Knowing that, it begs the question: do you have a plan for your career and your career development? Planning is critical. This can be done in a variety of ways.
Keeping in mind that it is your career, leaving the planning to your employer isn’t a viable option. If your employer requires each employee to meet with their line manager to discuss their career and professional journey, engage in that process. These discussions often involve team members sharing their professional and personal goals for the year and how they might achieve them. If you plan to stay with your current employer, processes like this can be invaluable. In some cases, they may connect to other processes, such as an Expression of Interest in moving to a higher-level position within the company. Such processes are crucial for building trust. Whether it is called a ‘Professional Growth Plan’, a ‘Professional Development Plan’, or an ‘Individual Development Plan’, having such plans in place is essential for both the organization’s and the individual’s development and growth. An example of this, with links to various resources for employers and employees, can be found at indeed.com (for employers).
“An individual development plan is one of the tools employers can use to help employees improve their job performance and achieve their career goals with external encouragement. Individual development plans and their action plans are especially effective when employees and team leaders collaborate honestly in specific ways that benefit the employee, manager, team and the company as a whole…However, for the sake of simplicity, the essential components of any development plan should include the following:
- Professional goals and aspirations
- Strengths and talents
- Development opportunities
- Action plans
Indeed Employer Content Team. (Eds). (2025). Individual Development Plan (With Template and Example). Austin.Tx: Indeed.com
With a sense of complimentarity, in addition to the professional plan, this author has regularly suggested that people should Have a Personal Plan. The Personal Plan is a way of determining what you want to be intentional about across the year. This eradicts that which you might currently be a focus for you, but is not likely to help you in the here and now, personally or professionally. In essence, it determines what it is that you need to be intentional and thus attentional about. It allows you to align your personal values and mission with those of an employer and their corporate values and mission.
Areas for a Personal Plan
- Family and Friends
- Personal Health and Well-Being
- Study (Formal and Informal)
- Career (Plan it with your Coach)
- Wealth Creation (Think Retirement)
- Inner Health and Well-Being
See the Template by David Ivers for a Personal Plan
It is important for your career, especially as you navigate the job market within your industry, to understand who you are and what you bring to the role and the company- both professionally and personally. This may involve seeking guidance on inner work, understanding your personality type, exploring your thinking processes, and perhaps even examining your family of origin. All of this can help complete the jigsaw puzzle that is you.
Change is all around us, occurring literally every second of our lives. Most of the time, it is so small or hidden that you don’t notice it.
There are a range of tools and strategies that you can Google and find useful but there are some basic business tools that can be adapted to your understanding of your career and how to leverage change or even pivot (change your trajectory) within your career.
Start with a Situation Analysis.
Ask:
Where am I at professionally and personally in my career?
Where would I like to be professionally and personally in the short term, mid term and long term?
How do I get from where I am today professionally and personally, to where I want to be in the short, mid and long term?
Once you have those answers, go back to your CV / Resume and look for answers to the following SWOT Analysis.
What Strengths are found in my CV / Resume? Are they captured well?
What Weaknesses are found in my CV / Resume? Are they inadvertently in my CV / Resume?
What Opportunities do my strengths / skillset give me (be creative and lateral in your thinking)?
What Threats do my weaknesses present to my current and future career (think broadly)?
Where your analysis highlights habitual behaviors that keep you stuck or hold you back, consider how you can change those habits so they become positive rather than remaining negative. In her excellent article for Personal Development Magazine, Christina Lattimer explains a 6-step process for change.
In summary, the 6 steps to changing habitual behaviors are as follows.
- Identify the Habit: Pinpoint what you want to change.
- Start Small: Implement tiny changes that lead to the larger goal.
- Be Consistent: Repeat the new behaviour daily to form a new habit.
- Track Progress: Use tools like spreadsheets or apps to monitor your journey.
- Seek Enjoyment: Incorporate elements of fun or pleasure to sustain interest.
- Build Connections: Share your goals with others for support and accountability.
Lattimer, Christina. (2023). Create Lasting Change On The Level Of Habitual Behaviour.
(In People Development Magazine – December 31, 2023).
Once you have these two analyses in place, conduct some research. You may have trained within a defined area of professional endeavor, but with a little more training, you might be able to pivot, potentially within the context of a traineeship program. For example, you might have initially trained as an Electrician or in Construction Management after leaving school. Throughout your career, you have collaborated with many Engineers and Architects. A little research may reveal that moving into one of those professions (Engineer or Architect) could be more feasible than you think. Where you have undertaken formal study, there is likely a related profession. Teachers often train with a major and a minor area of study. In some cases, they have completed a Bachelor’s degree in an area of expertise (e.g., Mathematics, Science, Business, History, etc.) and subsequently pursued a teaching degree. Transitioning from teaching into a field related to your teaching expertise is very possible. Health care is another area where transferable skills can be found with some additional training. A good example is Dr. Judy Willis, a board-certified Neurologist in California, who after 15 years of practicing as a Neurologist retrained in her other passion, Education, and received certification as a High School Math Teacher. See her story.
Increasingly, people are becoming aware that career development, career progression and career changes, are becoming an important part of life. It is one way in which people find meaning, express themselves and find dignity. In his excellent book, ‘Lead From The Heart’, Mark C. Crowley notes the following.
“In 2009, Dick Bolles, career expert and author of the best-selling job-hunting book What Color Is Your Parachute, was an early spotter of the trend. Bolles observed that the world’s entire workforce was poised to become far more discerning about their careers: “If as a society we turn back to work—if we dote on our jobs as much as we did our homes and our portfolios in an earlier era—then we’ll have to start asking deeper questions about what we do.” Bolles’s keen observation was that people were making a stunning pivot by seeking to find purpose through their jobs for the very first time.”
Crowley, Mark. C. (2022). Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century (eBook). Carlsbad. California: Hay House, Inc. (p51-52 of 246).
Of course, all of these are generalized examples of how pivoting could work for you. For specific advice and guidance, always seek professional help and check with the regulatory authorities in your jurisdiction. It should be noted that the younger generation of employees already seems adept at making the most of current studies and training, using them to enhance and future-proof themselves in an uncertain job market.
In 2024, Dr Cheryl Robinson, writing in Forbes, reported the following interesting statistic.:
“It comes as no surprise, then, that a significant 83% of Gen Z employees identify as job hoppers. Additionally, 4% of Gen Z respondents plan to stay with their current employer for less than a year, and 19% say they’ll stay for no more than one year.”
Robinson, Cheryl. (2024). Career Pivot Strategy For The Remainder Of 2024 (April 3, 2024).
Jersey City. NJ: Forbes Media.
In making a job application, be sure to not only provide a succinct CV / Resume that does justice to your skill set but also a Cover Letter that truly tells your professional story. It needs to complement your CV / Resume, so that a selection panel can see how your journey so far aligns with that of their company.
For employers, there are several factors to consider. Once you select someone who has pivoted into a different career trajectory, you have an obligation to train, develop, and nurture them. This process entails understanding that the more holistic the training, development, and nurturing -are- both professional and personal, the more integrated the new employee becomes, and the more effective and committed they are likely to be. In other words, from the outset, ensure they know that you, their leader, care about them and their career. Discovery learning might be popular in the lower school grades, but it shouldn’t be the primary strategy for the training, growth, and development of new employees.
‘People First’ is the key for any employer wanting to ensure they have captured the very best of the available talent for their organization. It is also the key to retaining them. As a practice, it is most effective when embedded in the culture of the organization. In his outstanding book, ‘Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism’, Tom Peters stresses how important the ‘People First’ strategy is in the pursuit of excellence.
“Will “People First” be reflected in your activities in the next 30 minutes? People first. This morning? People first. This afternoon? People first. Today? People first. Tomorrow? People first. Forever. And ever .
Peters, Tom. (2021). Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism (eBook). Chicago, Illinois: Networking Publishing. (Ch 4. p104 of 249).
It might sound clichéd, but the only constant in life is change. The accelerated speed of change, its pace, and perceived increased frequency make making career decisions on the fly more problematic. There is a real need to at least attempt to future-proof your career. Inevitably, this will involve updating your skill set and knowledge base. The purpose of this is to remain both relevant and agile, able to turn your hand to more than one thing within your industry. It may also extend to cycling out of your current industry and into a new one. It is through meaningful work that people take pride and find enjoyment and engagement in what they do. It is through their work that people express themselves and find dignity. The notion that people will have 3-4 career changes in their working life today is fanciful. In some industries, such as IT, being with the same employer for five or more years is considered a long time. Perception here is important. By casting a stone into the waters of a career, by taking the first step into the waters of change, you create ripples that can last a lifetime. Through career planning, your curiosity will be activated, and you will embark on new and exciting paths.
“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long.
We keep moving forward, opening up new doors, and doing new things,
because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths”
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