Your career is not a ladder, it's a passport.

(Road-tested with clients, shared on LinkedIn — this metaphor stuck with more leaders than I expected.)

You’ve been told a lie:

‘Your career is a ladder. Climb the rungs as high as you can; high score wins.’

This tired old metaphor is only true for some, it’s not universal.

For many, your career is more like a passport. The physical world we live in is wide, varied, fascinating… exploring it matters.

Same for the world of work. There’s so much to explore, so much to experience, so much to do, so much to learn and so much to enjoy.

In this magnificent and ever changing world, your career is a passport. Which stamp is next for you?