A few years in, still moving sideways instead of up — and wondering if something about how you come across is holding you back?
Marcus had worked for his organization for ten years, at first moving up, but for the last five years, mostly moving laterally. He wanted to an opportunity for moving up, so he reached out to me when he was looking for a new job.
Customer Journey: Marcus
Marcus was a tech executive who came to coaching during a career transition, looking for an opportunity to start moving up in his career. Over the years that followed, he navigated new roles, organizational change, difficult bosses, and periods of uncertainty.
Marcus’s journey explores self-leadership, resilience, confidence, and learning to take ownership of his own growth.
Each post explores a real coaching conversation or leadership challenge from that journey. This is post one of six.
Marcus was a Senior Director of Operations in New York at a large, competitive tech company. He already had over 20 years of experience in his industry.
Marcus was an overachiever and a go-getter. With a wife and two kids in middle school, he was the main breadwinner for his family.
“I work hard, I have good networks, and I always find a new post or position when my team is reorganized. But it doesn’t always advance my career. It’s usually sideways.”
Looking back, that instinct to keep adapting would become one of Marcus’s greatest strengths.
But at the moment, he wanted to move up and was applying out to a competitor’s firm. He had an interview the next day and could I help him prepare?
The first thing we did was identify his strengths. We identified his core technical skills. Then I asked him to tell me a story about how he developed or used these skills to bring value to the company. He worked on a story for each one and a story of his leadership, developing a talented team member who was promoted twice in two years.
I suggested he practice the stories a few times. The next day, he was ready, and he got the job.
In a New Job, Deeper Concerns Emerge
He came back two weeks later. He was thrilled, but he also had some concerns.
In particular, he admitted that he was assertive. He knew it was important in tech to be strong, but he was worried that sometimes maybe he was too assertive. How would he know?
I asked him for an example. In a recent meeting, he said, someone took an opposing view from him. He didn’t want to back down, so he asserted his position. Soon, it was just Marcus and the other guy going back and forth. At the end, there was no agreement.
I asked, “how do you think the other people felt watching this dynamic?”
“I think they didn’t want to get in the middle of it. They might have felt uncomfortable, maybe even a little afraid to speak up.”
“Is that how you want to be seen?” I asked.
“Well,” Marcus said, “not really. I don’t want people to be afraid of talking to me or speaking up around me.”
He was silent for a moment, thinking about how others might perceive him.
This is often how coaching works. A question can change your perspective of a moment and lead to deeper insights that help you consider your effect on others and how you want to be perceived.
Then he said, “The truth is that a few people have told me that I’m unapproachable. I’m not really sure how to be any different than I am, and I want to be authentic. But I think I want to be more approachable. Can you help me with that?”
“Absolutely,” I said.
So, Marcus stayed in coaching because he wanted to address some of the things that would help him be more successful in his new role.
Marcus’s Leadership Values
One of the first things I ask coaching clients to do is define their leadership values. Leadership values become a compass during difficult decisions and help leaders consistently show up the way they want to be remembered.
Marcus learned a lot about leadership during the time I worked with him. His leadership values reflect his career maturity.
Build my network. I need others to see my value and know my work. Focus on building relationships and visibility above me.
Be confident in my abilities. Control my insecurities when I report up to people at my boss’s level and above. As a first generation American, I sometimes feel I don’t belong, and I need to control that. I’ve earned my place here.
Maintain high work ethics. Go above and beyond. Challenge myself and bring new ideas to the team.
Take time to help others. Mentoring others helps my own visibility and adds value to the team.
Be respectful and treat everyone fairly, even when things are stressful. Be empathetic and compassionate for whatever they are going through.
Continue the Journey
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