Introduction and Teresa's Career Shift

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In the last episode , I spoke with Teresa about charting her own path . She chose sustainability and stepped away from HR . She mentioned that her boss offered the next rung in the ladder , and she did that with the best of intentions . It's just not what Teresa wanted . Let's talk about how that might be able to work for you . Ditching the corporate ladder for a more adventurous , self-defined career path is not for the faint of heart . The corporate ladder , or any traditional path , often gives you clear steps and expectations , but it can also feel rigid , uninspiring or like you're living someone else's dream . Sometimes you change because you're craving more creativity or freedom . It can also be that you want to make a bigger impact or work on projects that align with your values , or maybe you're just tired of playing by . Someone else's rules Sound familiar . Choosing your own path may allow you to work on things you're passionate about , explore different industries or roles . You might create a more balanced lifestyle and , who knows , maybe even be your own boss . Hi , I'm Becky . Welcome to Short Story Long .

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In this podcast , we discuss ways you can integrate who you are into how you lead . Today , I am offering strategies for building your skills as a leader . Let's break down what it takes to design your own future and pursue it . If you're ready to step off the beaten path , you may need to start by defining what the experience would actually mean to you . You may not have all the answers yet , but you can ask yourself what does success look like for me ? What skills or strengths do I want to use ? What experiences am I craving ? That I'm not getting now . Once you've got a clear vision , you can map out the steps to get there , even if that map is a little messy . Mine was plenty messy , since I had a straw man when I took the leap instead of a true business plan . In fairness , I had not only chosen a direction , I was also leaving where I was . This may be a do what I say and not what I did moment . I encourage you to think about what exactly is prompting you to look in a different direction . Moving based on fear of what is is usually not as successful as building for what you want . That said , when you choose your own path , you're signing up for uncertainty . Things won't go as planned , and that's okay .

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The trick is to embrace experimentation , try different things , learn as you go and adjust when necessary . For me , I knew I wanted to do coaching Because I was burned out on HR things , I specifically decided I didn't want to do HR consulting . Over time I wasn't as resistant to talking about HR topics , though I never did go back to advising or consulting . Still , those skills were transferable . How people lead , how people think , how they work with one another all of those things and experiences that I had while I was an HR person . They absolutely inform my coaching questions when I'm working with clients today . Teresa talked about that too . In Teresa's experience she was looking back at a risk that she had taken in her career that worked out in a positive way . It gave her the belief and the confidence that if she could do it once , she could do it a second time . So some of them are knowledge skills and some of them are experience skills .

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Thinking about that new path might incorporate both kinds . One thing you will want to have absolutely solid is your support team . The trick is to make sure they check you when you go too far , while also supporting you when you feel low and experience doubts . Going off the beaten path can feel lonely at times . Surround yourself with people who get it . Find mentors who've been there and taken a leap before . You may even want to join communities of like-minded professionals , especially in the space and in the topics where you're heading . Don't be afraid to ask for help . Everyone needs a lift every now and then .

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Of course , there are still risks . Stepping away from an existing career path may mean compromising on stability , things like paychecks , benefits and a clear promotion path . You will also get introduced to the fear of failure in a new way . You will face setbacks or make mistakes , but here's the thing Failure is just data . It's information you can use to make better decisions next time . One of the things that you can be thinking about is that vision of what you need for your total compensation . Sometimes stepping in a new direction means less compensation , but not always . Get your data , get your facts and have a clear vision of what your value is as you move into a new direction . That's part of setting those realistic expectations and knowing what you actually want to achieve . Another key thing is gathering that support team and celebrating those small wins along the way . It can be hard to wait for the big success , so find the little ones and just rock it out with your friends and colleagues in whatever way that you need to .

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It's not all risks . There are benefits too . Why else would you do it if there weren't benefits ? By choosing your own path , you open yourself up to a world of possibilities . You can discover hidden talents . You open yourself up to a world of possibilities . You can discover hidden talents . You can build a diverse skill set and you can find work that truly lights you up . You get to design what you want and let it evolve from there . When you're in the driver's seat , you have the power to say yes or no to opportunities . You can design a career that works with your life , not against it . And when you're doing work that feels meaningful , it's easier to stay motivated , even on those tough days . I know that for me , what is possibly a tough day for me today might have actually felt equivalent to some of the good days that I had in my corporate life .

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If you've been feeling stuck or uninspired , maybe it's time to consider your own adventure . It won't be perfect and it might be a little scary . Okay , it'll probably be a little scary , but it could also be the most rewarding decision you make . Look for moments to try something new and feel the boost from the innovation . One way to manage that fear of failure is to imagine what failure might look like . Sometimes , if we don't define what failure really is to us , then we might assign failure to something that was actually successful in a different way than you expected .

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So , for example , you go off , you find the opportunity , you get the role , you get into it and you go . Huh , this isn't so awesome . Maybe it's six months a year , two years , that you spend in that kind of role and suddenly you're recognizing that you need to make a change again . Maybe it's a change back , maybe it's a change in a new direction , but that wasn't wasted time . That was time that you learned new skills , new capabilities and , frankly , met new people . Now , as you consider going off into a new direction , you have even a stronger , deeper , broader foundation from which to build . Thanks for listening . If you found this episode helpful , share it with someone who could benefit from it . Until next time , I'm Becky Fraser , reminding you to integrate who you are with how you lead . Okay , bye .