Most leaders don’t think seriously about managing their career until something changes around them. A restructure. A new CEO. A merger. A role disappears. The culture shifts. Or suddenly the job they thought was secure… isn’t.
By then, you are trying to build networks, clarify your value, understand the market and work out what you want next while also dealing with the shock of having to do it.
That is a tough place to start.
So this weekend, don’t ask yourself whether your current role is secure.
Ask yourself whether you are career-ready.
1. If my role disappeared on Monday, how clear would I be about the value I bring and where I could take it next?
2. Who outside my current organisation actually knows what I am capable of - and would think of me when an opportunity arose?
3. What am I doing today to build career options before I actually need them?
A long-term career strategy is not something you create when the wheels fall off.
You build it while things are going well. Because the strongest career position is not job security. It is having options. And being intentional!