Taking Charge
Owning My Career in the Midst of Disruption
Three factors and three processes helped me find my way after experiencing a layoff last year.
Welcome to Timeless Leadership! To me, leadership is about taking charge of myself and getting beyond myself. This week I go a little behind the scenes on my a 9-month journey and my recent decision to join Slate as their Head of Growth.
Next week will be the finale of Season 1(!!) - I’ll pull together the disparate threads explored over the past 3 months into a couple simple frameworks. I will also preview the potential of these frameworks for the future work we can all do together.
Taking Charge
Last April I left Box on good terms, in good standing, and ready to try something new.
I also left suddenly, impacted by a layoff. I dove into a labor market defined by budget tightening and a wave of job-seekers similarly affected by unfavorable business conditions.
It sucked, and I had all the feelings.
Looking ahead, I knew I couldn’t control exactly when or how I would land new work.
However… I could control how I showed up and how I spent my time.
I felt the pressure to bring in revenue of course, but I had the good fortune not to need a new full time job immediately. I wanted to make the most of my extensive learning from my time at Box and all my prior experiences.
So I committed myself to start not from a place of need, but from a place of abundance.
I had the skills and knowledge to offer something unique and meaningful.
By helping others, I trusted the right opportunities would surface… no matter how much doubt and struggle would come along the way.
My 3x3 Decision Factors
Immediately after my last day at Box, I didn’t dive right into a full on job search. Instead, I developed a personal OKR to guide proportional investments in personal branding, industry research, job pursuits, skill development, and life.
This put my job search in perspective, and ensured that I could drive growth regardless of how the market opportunities materialized.
As it turned out, I achieved some traction with consulting engagements, and that gave me more time, resources, and perspective for considering my next career move.
I found myself drawn to all kinds of opportunities - from Talent Development roles in large enterprises to founding team level roles at small startups. I even considered founding a venture myself, building on some initial success I had in selling and delivering consulting engagements. I also couldn’t help looking way outside of my current track, ruminating on all the problems in the world and heading into an election year.
To make sense of the best fit across an array of choices, I used three practices:
Exploration - mostly reading, writing, and networking
Experimentation - applying to jobs and doing consulting work
Reflection - talking with coaches, mentors, friends, and family; journaling & participating in structured career support programs
Over the course of several months, these practices helped me in creating an evaluation framework for any opportunity, which I call the “three Ts”:
Team represents the mission, values, culture, and capabilities of the people
Title represents the responsibilities, resources, compensation, org position, and yes, title of the role
Traction represents the record of sales, impact, and sustainability of the company
Following a process of exploration, experimentation, and reflection, I refined my preferences across the 3Ts. I decided to pursue full-time roles joining an existing team. I found promise in cross-functional Go-to-Market (GTM) leadership roles at smaller stage companies that shared a commitment to leadership development.
I found the greatest potential came from collaborating directly with CEOs to define their needs and how I could help fill them.
That’s what brought me to Slate.
Not Quite a Blank Slate
I started in my new role at Slate almost a month ago now. As the Head of Growth, I’m responsible for a wide range of activities on the Go-to-Market side of the business… and I get the satisfaction from scaling a business all about leadership coaching.
We’re a remote company, but get together in person for strategic planning and to meet with our partner and customers. We’re an established company, so I’m able to take care of my family as I ramp up. The people are smart, nice, and committed, and I’m enjoying the work every day.
These fulfilled my goals for team and title.
For traction, the company has a 12-year track record and has full independence thanks to founder Michelle’s shrewd and careful management. There’s also just the right mix of existing traction and things to figure out that I can make a meaningful difference on a short time scale.
I’m working hard, but I’m also able to be present with my family and continue to engage in my writing and personal wellness. I am intentionally crafting the next chapter of my life and career to bring together all the things that matter most to me.
Putting it bluntly: I can now practice and pioneer more Timeless Leadership.
Next week, we’ll bring it all back to Timeless Leadership - what all these experiences documented over these last twelve weeks have taught me about leadership, the questions it sparks, and the possible answers to consider.
We’ll also start to explore - what this could mean for you!
See you soon,
-Joe
PS. What’s one thing you’re taking away from this week’s post?
Gratitude. Abundance. Generosity. Trust. Patience.