2024 - Is it a"time to leap" year?

2024 is a leap year. Is it your time to leap in your job, career or life? 2020 and 2024 were my years to leap and having recently read "When to Jump" by Mike Lewis (no relation) and Unstressable by Mo Gawdat it is a great time to reflect on why, how and when you should consider leaping next.

I tend to write articles around periods of major reflection and change and on topics that I am passionate about. In this instance 2020 and 2024 marks a career watershed for me and maybe many others, in that I have chosen to leave the profession I joined over 30 years ago and embark on a career leap. Approaching any milestone birthday or anniversary we often look back on where we have come from, what we have achieved, where we have succeeded and failed and what we have learnt along the way. All of this contributes to Why, How and When you should review your life and career trajectory and consider leaping yourself. You may recognize that we often work in cycles. For example mine is a 5 year cycle. When its been my decision I have moved role every 5 years. 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009/10 and then 2019/20 and now 2024.

Following 25 years of studying, hiring and developing leaders around the world I have amassed a lot of hard and soft data concerning what makes, people, leaders and organisations function and what makes people join and leave them. At the last count I had hired for over 200 leading global organisations, interviewed over 10,000 people, (6,000 at executive and leaderships level) and provided over 2,000 hours of 1-2-1 Executive coaching to senior executives seeking a change in career direction or trajectory.

Twenty years ago, I was a DINKY. (Double Income, No Kids) newly married and living in London. I was 6 years into my career and climbing the corporate ladder and I leapt for the first time. In the past 20 years I have moved continent, had two children (now both adults), moved jobs 5 times and moved home 6 times. You can move home, change situation, job and location quite easily and we adapt and grow, however it would be foolish to not recognize that with each leap you change too. We are born to leap and each leap generally changes you for the better, you grow and develop. Now at 49 and entering a new decade and era of work/life I look at the world very differently and have questioned numerous people on their life and work decision and what has informed and influenced their leaps.

So here is my quick summary of 20 pieces of the collective advice over the past 20 years that you may want to consider in terms of making a leap forward in the areas of CAREER, LEADERSHIP, LIFE, and HEALTH. If you look at your life through the following lenses hopefully it will help guide you to make the best decisions before your next leap.

CAREER:

• Its Just a Job - What seems important and stressful today will not be in a year
• Relationships are critical - People buy People (period)
• Moving country gives you a perspective no one else has
• You may compromise standards but values and morals are non-negotiable
• Never stop learning - Invest in yourself, because no one else is going to

LEADERSHIP

• People join companies and leave managers
• Leadership is a contact sport - so not everyone can or should
• Change is hard - if you DON'T they WON'T
• Inspire first - Win hearts before minds
• EQ, and then CQ over IQ every-time

LIFE

• Its not what you SAY or DO, its how you make people FEEL
• Purpose and your WHY is more important that the WHAT or HOW
• Enjoy your kids, they grow up fast, enjoy your parents, they are a long time gone
• Work/Life Balance - Choose Life
• Spend more times with your Family, Partner and Friends

HEALTH

• Do not kill yourself for a job that would replace you in a heartbeat
• What does not kill you MAY make you stronger - if you survive
• Health is Wealth, Happiness is Success
• Mental Health is as important as Physical Health
• Stress is a killer, Kill it before it Kills you!