What if the best career advice isn’t about climbing the ladder faster, but about finding more joy, resilience, and purpose along the way?
In the new anthology book Joy@Work: When Women Lead, six powerful female leaders share their career advice for women—and the men who work with them.
Here’s a taste of the wisdom you’ll find in the book.
Discover Your Superpowers
Understand what you do best, then look for ways to do more of it. The CliftonStrengths® assessment is a great way to get started, but you can also accomplish this by asking yourself questions. For example:
- What brings me energy?
- What depletes my energy?
- Thinking about my very best day at work, what was I doing? Why did that activity bring me joy?
- When have I seen the results of something I did make a positive impact on others?
Beat Burnout
If you start to feel yourself burning out, get comfortable being uncomfortable. Ask for help and lean into others. Understand yourself and what boosts and drains your energy. Remember that it’s okay to say no; taking on too many things can put you on the fast track to burnout.
Reclaim Your Career Journey
We’re often on autopilot or in the backseat letting others drive our career, but your career should be you-powered! Become more self-aware through assessments, reflection, or other tools that help you get to know what brings you joy. Advocate for yourself and be accountable for making your career goals happen.
Get Unstuck
If you’re feeling stuck in your career, remember that it doesn’t have to be this way forever. Try new things and get out of your comfort zone. Be curious and ask yourself a lot of questions about why you feel stuck. For example, if you’re feeling stuck because you’re supposed to be promoted by now, do you really want to be promoted, or are you just feeling societal pressure?
Turn Endings into Beginnings
Careers are full of transitions. Whether endings are your choice or outside your control, you can use them as a launching point for growth. Negative emotions are real and they’re okay to feel, but it’s not helpful to stay stuck in that negativity. Try setting a timeframe (an hour, a day, a week—whatever you need) to feel the sadness, anger, disappointment, etc. Then, at the end of that timeframe, move on and plan for the next step in your journey. Think about the things you enjoyed about the position you’re leaving, and consider how you can expand on that positive experience in your next role.
Build Resilience
According to 30+ years of research, hardiness makes up the largest portion of resilience. You have the power to drive the way you bounce back from stressors! There are three main factors that will help you build your hardiness:
- Challenge: a mindset that stressors are challenges you can figure out
- Control: a belief that you have some influence in your life
- Commitment to the path you’re on
Find Joy
Reflect on your values and narrow them down to your top three. That’s your fuel, your definition of joy. Be willing to speak about your definition of joy, and seek out and ask for things that align with those driving factors. Don’t try to live someone else’s definition!
No matter what you’re doing, look for the meaning in it and connect to that purpose. When you come across tasks that aren’t joyful for you, think about whether someone else on your team might find joy in those tasks and share them.
The common thread in each lesson is intentionality. Whether you’re discovering your strengths, navigating a transition, or building resilience, meaningful career growth starts with understanding what brings you joy and taking ownership of your next step.
Looking for more guidance on building a fulfilling career? Our coaching and leadership development programs help professionals discover their strengths, navigate change, and grow with confidence. Reach out to us to start the conversation.