Are you managing your career (or is it managing you)?

Are you a career planner type of gal, or do you prefer to go with the flow and see what turns up?

I was always a mix of both. I had a strong sense that to grow my career, I needed a good balance of education and experience. I also wanted to keep my skills and industry knowledge current and avoid getting too comfortable in one place for too long. In my APS career, that meant changing positions every three years and agencies every five years or so.

I was in flow.

Each time I moved agency, it was to implement change. I’m a starter. I love the big thinking and the sense of possibility that comes with something new. Each time I left, I felt like I was becoming too familiar, a little too comfortable. I found that unsettling.

And then, 3.5 years into my last APS role, I left suddenly, completely abandoning my career and everything I had worked so hard for.

There wasn’t meant to be a Plan B. I was meant to ride that same flow I had become so accustomed to....until it was no longer an option.

Herein lay the problem.

I spent my whole career investing in and building my outer world: the skills, reputation, and resume that I believed would carry me forward. The one I designed for other people to validate my worth. The one that said I had the skills and experience they were looking for. The one that proved I had done my time and deserved the next role.

What I completely neglected was my inner world: the part where I was clear on my values and the contribution I wanted to make. The part that defined the legacy I wanted to leave. The part that dealt with and integrated the wisdom of inevitable disappointments, regrets, and failures. The part that connected me to my heart, my purpose, and my sense of self.

I abandoned that part of the equation to be who I thought I needed to be to get ahead and be seen as successful.

So, if I could go back in time, here’s what I would do differently in times of transition:

1. Prioritise time to pause and reflect
I’d ask myself:

• What do I actually want this next phase to look like?

• What’s still lighting me up as a leader?

• What am I done with that I either want to change or do differently?

2. Reflect on my career story and where it’s up to
I’d ask myself:

• What impact have I made to date, and what impact am I yet to have?

• How do others see me as a leader, and how do I feel about that?

• Where might I still want to grow?

3. Connect with my network and trusted mentors
I’d ask them:

• Where do you see me going next?

• What do you think are my greatest strengths?

• Who do you know that I could connect with?

4. And MOST importantly, learn more about myself
I’d ask:

• What beliefs and stories am I telling myself that are shaping my leadership presence?

• How aligned am I with my values?

• What legacy am I working towards, and what do I need to heal to get there?

As senior leaders, we often reach a point where the strategies that got us here aren’t the ones that will take us where we want to go next. When that happens, it’s time to go inwards in search of meaning, purpose, and balance.