What got you here, won’t get you there.

Allen Plummer
Jul 10, 2017 · 4 min read

It’s not unusual for mid-career professionals to plateau. After all, there seems to be an adage in the business world; “if you want a promotion and more money, go work for a competitor.”

And yes, that certainly happens quite a bit. We’ve all seen colleagues make a lateral jump to another company because of a larger title and more money. Yet I believe that lots of folks who do just that end up no better off than before. I’ve seen friends and coworkers leave companies for reasons that look good on paper, but once they’re in their new role, it turns out to be a very different story.

Maybe it’s longer hours, a terrible boss, bad culture, or a lack of respect from those around them. Sure the pay’s more and the title might sound better, but at what cost? Do the promotion and money matter if you’re miserable?

Like they say, the grass is always greener.

But here’s a dirty little secret. Professional titles — even on LinkedIn — mean nothing. Someone can create their own company, have no employees, but still call themselves CEO. Almost everyone is the “head of” something. And anyone with half a brain is calling themselves a “strategist.” It can be hard to separate the legit from the fakers. Even companies are in on the charade.

For example, a few months ago I was approached about a new “Global Director of Social Media” position for a competing company. Sounds impressive, but a little digging informed me that this Global Director would be a solo act. One person doing everything by themselves, with no plans for additional headcount. (In fact, this is fairly common in social media. Many social media “experts” are one or two person teams doing everything for a global company themselves. Friends in the social media space can verify this to be true.)

Now, having launched and built our social media in my current role, we’re fortunate enough have a cross-functional team of 6 supporting our social media efforts (although I will admit that only 2 are direct reports and the rest have other responsibilities as well). These employees roll up their sleeves and work together because they want to; their passion and support of each other are demonstrated daily. It didn’t happen overnight, but after a few years of bumps and bruises, our team runs well and has a great time together.

So why would anyone leave an environment like that to become a one-man shop? Would a title and more money be worth it? Not in my mind. Instead of developing strategy, leading, supporting, and helping others grow, why would I take a step back and become someone who’s primary focus is daily execution?

No thanks.

This is why so many of us jump from job to job, yet still remain miserable. It’s like looking for a quick fix, then looking again once the fix wears off and reality sets in. And in doing so, we remain focused on hard skills, rather than the soft skills that truly help professionals grow and become leaders.

In short, what got you here, won’t get you there.

Growth doesn’t happen overnight. And yes, there will always be wunderkinds who zip up the corporate ladder or seem or be the Chosen One to us outsiders. But how many times do these individuals fail to deliver results? How many youthful, unproven leaders fall flat because they were out of their element. There’s a new story like that every week, it seems.

In reality, we’re hired into our first jobs for our skills; for what we can do and produce. And early on, that’s how we succeed. We strive to become the best at what we do. At many companies, that leads to a few promotions; often getting us out of an entry-level role into a junior role. Perhaps even a mid-level role if we’re lucky.

But then things change. As we move up, career growth becomes less and less about our “hard” skills (talents, abilities, etc.) and more about our soft skills. Can you influence others? Are you well liked and positive? (Yes, this is important in the business world.) Can you get things done?

Influencing others is not just about getting your way. It’s about mentoring others, putting the needs of the company or business before your own, representing your colleagues, even teaching and educating. All those things that help create a positive workplace environment.

Ever heard the saying “a disgruntled employee is like a cancer?” What if the opposite is true?

Being well-liked isn’t just about smiling. It’s about being the “go to” person when someone has a question. It’s about collaboration, building relationships with those around you, and having your work recognized.

And getting things done doesn’t just mean producing quality work. It means delivering under budget, on time, and working in such a way that resolves conflict. Getting things done at the cost of destroying those around you doesn’t create long-term success.

So instead of looking for the quick fix, jumping from job to job while chasing cash, maybe we’d be better off if we focused on the soft skills that will help us get to the next step in our careers. Doing so requires patience and a willingness to grow, but maybe we’d be happier.

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Thanks for reading. If you liked this post, please share it with your connections. Hear my podcast, Head, Heart & Hustle, online or via iTunes. You can find me on LinkedIn or connect with me on Twitter at @MktrAllen.

Written by

Digital Marketing leader. Head of Editorial & Creative Production. Podcaster @ Headheartandhustle.com. 5x author & ghostwriter. CrossFit and Goruck tough.

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