Leaders on becoming a leader

In the first version of the scene, the doors of the train slide shut just as she reaches the platform. In the second Paltrow’s character squeezes open the doors and walks through. 

" Most said their careers were more opportunistic than strategic but perhaps this is more an indication of their willingness to try new opportunities.”

The film shows us the consequences of those two events through the parallel universes of her life – what it would be had she walked through those sliding doors and what it would be had she not. It’s a romance but captures how split-second decisions can have lifelong consequences. 

When building our careers we have many ‘sliding doors’ moments.

Some are obvious opportunities requiring little thought before we walk towards them. Others are less obvious; so subtle it isn’t until later we realise great potential may have been on the other side of the door.

One of my ‘sliding doors’ moments was when I left the government sector and moved into my first major role in the private sector.  

Pathways

Korn Ferry recently asked business leaders in Australia and New Zealand who hold or have held CEO and c-suite roles about their pathway to the top of their organisations.

We wanted to learn whether their pathway was strategic or opportunistic and whether, like Gwyneth Paltrow, they had sliding doors moments in their life that shaped their experience and career.

Interestingly, most said their careers were more opportunistic than strategic - but perhaps this is more an indication of their willingness to try new opportunities even, if at first, they appear to stray from a linear path.

Their journey differed but were all influenced and, in some cases defined, by unexpected forks in the road – the sliding doors moments where a decision to walk towards or away from an opportunity has profound consequences on a career.  

Those moments were as diverse as leaving a secure job to work on a start-up IPO, working as a bookies’ runner, coaching competitive sports, attending a leadership program or negotiating industrial agreements with colleagues.

Contributors

What these experiences have in common is each contributed to career success, either through the experience and skills gained, the profile and networks presented, or clarity of purpose that came with experiencing something new and challenging.  

How can we know when a moment has the potential to change a career? There isn’t a right or wrong answer to that question however there are ways to be open to the moment.

The business leaders interviewed in Korn Ferry’s report were prepared to take risks and back themselves, all the while learning new skills and gaining diverse experiences.

Perhaps the first step to finding the right career sliding doors moment is being aware of your potential to make something of it.  The next step is to be prepared to take a risk – particularly early in a career – and to walk towards an opportunity.

Katie Lahey is the Executive Chairman of Korn Ferry Australasia. For further information please download Korn Ferry’s report.