Unboxing Careers: In Between Worlds, The Seniority Seekers' Odyssey to Leadership – Part 1

By Anupama Vaidya. 

As I wrapped up my day a few weeks ago, an unexpected opportunity unfolded – an engagement initiative with a team gathering. Given my familiarity with addressing groups, on request, I shared my insights for a few minutes before taking a seat. What followed next left me with a profound sense of fulfilment.

Chinar, our protagonist, and the team’s technical manager, stepped up to the microphone and addressed the group with a seamless flow of thoughts, articulate expression, meaningful insights, leaving a lasting impression. It was magical to witness this transformation of an individual who just a few months ago, was struggling to express in English, with a strong colloquial accent, filler words and broken sentences being all over the place, difficult for other to understand what his intended message was, despite being a solid technical expert. Chinar’s current confident presence was truly remarkable;  the past 5-6 months, so well invested. Kudos to you Chinar - Keep up the pace of your development!

Over dinner, as I spoke to Chinar appreciating his transition, he was excitedly sharing all that he had been doing post my session with him and his colleagues as “Seniority Seekers” to help them deal with their confusions, dilemmas and disorientations as they shape their careers. A turning point for him, Chinar, took charge and worked upon steadily to de-thread and weave his career pathway.

At a stage of feeling like being in a ‘Trishanku’ state (a figure from the Hindu mythology, known for being suspended between heaven and earth), symbolic of being caught in an in-between or liminal state, mirroring the challenges faced by 'Seniority Seekers' as they navigate the ambiguous territory between mid-level and senior-level leadership.

The struggle lies in maintaining momentum for career advancement, where the aspirations often outpace the necessary actions. The demands of daily work, frequently sidetracks attention from investing in preparing for this very future career ascend that they so very aspire.

The power of investing in meaningful and consistent career conversations & mentoring sessions cannot be undermined, to help cross over the steeple chase of career management for Chinar and Seniority Seekers like him. As the journey became increasingly tougher, these sessions served as a personal wake up call for Chinar. Additionally, Chinar had diligently absorbed the insights from the session held a few months ago, where he and his group of ‘Seniority Seekers’ aspirant engaged in a session with me on “Unboxing Careers: Spotting the talent for senior leadership – a Leaders View”.

The session that stemmed from dilemmas that I had noted from various conversations with Chinar and his “Seniority Seeking” colleagues along with my own notes over the years.  The need to unravel the hidden secrets compelled exploration to distinguish talent from extraordinary talent. That this was not a magical potion indeed but a set of systemic self-work to cross over through this hanging state and anchor into senior leadership.

Wading through my liminal space, as the visibility grew with increasing responsibilities, learning and demonstrating senior leadership was vital with learning hard lessons on the way. My own deep learnings as I navigated through various stages, traversing with the invaluable guidance of exceptional mentors by my side has always helped me always!

The pauses and reflections with them have always been a source of insight and inspiration.

Pause and Reflect: (few pointers that I have now worded for you too!)

What criteria do top leaders use to invest in and nurture select individuals to senior roles, while others may face disappointment? How does this influence your personal growth trajectory within the organization?

Are there any unexpected speed breakers that seem to emerge just when you thought your career trajectory was smoothly progressing?

Is there a change in speed to your career path compared to what you had perceived or expected for yourself? What factors are contributing to this shift?

Is your career moving in tandem to your development or are there any gaps either way?

Are you looking the roadmap from where you stand or from where you want to get to?

Reflections on these pointers along with conversations with your manager or mentor (What better than your manager being the mentor!) can offer valuable insights towards traversing this liminal space. In the part  2 of this series, await to read on the insights that I had shared with Chinar and his Seniority Seeking colleagues. Till then, Wishing you a contemplative week ahead!