A successful executive once said to me,
“The higher you move up in a company, the more important relationships become. VPs choose whether or not to help you based on your reputation, not your skills.”
It’s this weird evolution where, when you FIRST start out in your career, your value is backed (mostly) by your abilities. Heck, you just graduated school and you barely know anyone (or anything). But fast-forward five, ten, or twenty years, and suddenly the inputs flip. Your relationships are now driving the majority of your value.
Feel like you’re plateauing at work?
Maybe you’ve accelerated your skills, but have you equally grown your relationship talent stack? Sure you might be technically capable of that next job, but are you good enough in reputation and networking?
Perhaps it’s time to pivot your focus; skill alone will not get you there.