How did I get here?

How I've finally accepted that climbing a lattice web is just as ok as climbing a clearly planned career ladder

I woke up in Beaver Creek Colorado a few days into 2019 in a state of anxiety. I should have been feeling grateful for representing my country in a 'plum posting'; grateful for another international experience with my husband; grateful for the 4-year runway to develop my leadership.?Grateful we weren't in a pandemic (but who was I, or anyone, to know?!).

I should have been as high as the altitude I was at. But I wasn’t.

My first role out of university was in the economic development sector promoting Canberra as a business destination. Now, 15+ years later I was a commercial diplomat in the Australian Embassy in Washington DC promoting Australian exports to the US and attracting foreign direct investment. There was plenty of synergy to it all but at 9 months into this (not so new) job I was failing forward at a rate of knots.

The harder I tried, the worse things (read: I) got. My team still thought I was from outer space, my boss kept assigning me nebulous tasks, and the emails…oh the endless chain of emails, I couldn’t whack those moles fast enough.

"How did I get here?

And, why wasn't I having any fun?”

Thankfully I pulled myself out of that existential crisis and went on to achieve a reasonable amount in my 4 1/4 year posting. I’ve since stopped to reflect on how does anyone get anywhere professionally??

From what I can gather, there seems to be two paths. You can either plan or project.??

The planners

My two bridesmaids (a c-suite executive and a public servant), partners in professional services, military personnel – these folks strike me as Planners. To progress in their careers, Planners look up and study the ladder - the necessary skills and strategies, rules and relationships, the containment and the compromises needed. They clock their 10,000 hours early by going deep into the sector and attain technical excellence in their field. “Content” is their value proposition.

The projectors

In contrast, Projectors are folks that have a broad vision of what they want to achieve, but not as much clarity on the step-by-step process. And this is what I have come to realise about my own career: I'm a Projector.

I’ve never really aspired to “be” something so much as to “do” something.

I want to improve things, negotiate with and influence others, manage risk, convert commercial opportunities. I want to be part of a team that makes a positive impact, especially at the intersection of business and government and anywhere there is an international context to play in. And please put me in a leadership role as I move too quickly to wait for direction.

I’ve worked in the private, public and not for profit sectors, in Australia, the UK, Asia and the United States. I know enough about most functions in any organisation to be productive and am in possession of a battalion of war stories about leadership, culture, change management and creating high-performance teams.

In my career, instead of seeing a ladder, I’ve looked up and seen a lattice web of options.?

To progress, did I need to take chances? Yes, absolutely. I moved sectors, roles and continents. I learnt new acronyms, new business models, and languages (or at least accents). Each time, I've accreted more knowledge about how the working world works and built my expertise and knowledge in new domains.?I’ve used each rung to reach across to the next rung, cross-pollinating and solidifying my insights as I went.?

I’ve noticed Projectors like me thrive on a wide network, a broad outlook and a skill that has breadth across sectors. We also need conviction, confidence and be comfortable with ambiguity. To progress in our careers, “Process” is our value proposition.?

Back to the original first world problem I had in the Rocky Mountains – how did I get here?

With a little reflection it all makes sense.?

At 24 years old, in Canberra, promoting that big country town as a business destination (and feeling somewhat suffocated), I walked into my boss’s office with both a resignation letter and a leave without pay letter. Much respected Boss said, “what do you need, an effing parachute?”. My eyes went wide, I ripped up the leave without pay letter, left Canberra and I’ve been free falling ever since.?

It occurs to me - that day in Beaver Creek in 2019 - I was exactly where I was meant to be. And today, having just finished a call where I was reminded "you can't get ahead if you don't take chances" and "you have to get out of your comfort zone to grow", I know I am exactly where I am meant to be.

Even without a parachute,

I always fall on my feet.?

Does this simple metaphor resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts via the comments or a DM.

Thanks go to Amal V. , Stephanie Chu , Maria MacNamara and Sandy Bains for helping me bounce this idea into shape.