Ladders vs. Waves: The Career Growth Metaphor That Changes Everything

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome to Leadership Unscripted. Each edition, we share 1 Case Study, 1 Framework, 1 Question. These are real moments and practical strategies for rethinking your approach to leadership.

Let’s dive in.

For most of her career, Elena pictured success as a ladder. Each rung meant progress. Each title meant momentum. And any pause felt like falling behind.

So when her upward trajectory slowed after a reorg, she panicked. Confidence dipped. Her work, once energizing, started to feel heavy and unclear.

In coaching, she admitted, “I don’t know what’s wrong. I’m not moving up anymore.”

Her coach offered a different lens: “What if your career isn’t a ladder at all?”

That question stuck.

Elena began to see her career not as a climb, but as a series of waves—waves of contribution, waves of rest, waves of redirection. She realized nothing was broken. She was just in a different season.

That reframing moved her to re-engage, and it changed how she led. She stopped pushing her team toward constant upward motion. She normalized growth that included lateral moves, learning curves, and even pauses. She asked better questions about where people were, not just where they were headed.

The result? Engagement increased. Burnout decreased. And performance improved, because people weren’t pretending to be somewhere they weren’t.

Because careers don’t grow in straight lines. They move in rhythms.

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1 Framework

Career Wave Mapping

Careers aren’t ladders anymore—they’re waves of contribution, rest, and redirection.

Use these prompts to understand where you are, and what’s needed next:

Identify
What wave are you in right now: contributing, resting, or redirecting?

Accept
Could this wave serve a purpose, even if it feels uncomfortable?

Act
What small step could help you ride this wave more intentionally?

Leaders who recognize the rhythm of career waves shape healthier paths—for themselves and the people they lead.

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1 Question

Most of us were taught to measure success by upward motion alone.
👉 If your career isn’t a ladder, what rhythm or cycle best describes where you are right now?

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Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

Have you ever been in a season that didn’t look like “progress,” but ended up shaping you the most?
Reply and share. These moments often hold the biggest lessons.

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More to Explore

Supporting growth means recognizing seasons, not just titles.
Our 1:1 Coaching and Leadership Academies help leaders navigate transitions with clarity, confidence, and intention.

Explore Our Leadership Development Work → 

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Real Stories. Real Tools. Real Impact.

Forget the fluff. We’re that company, revealing behind-the-scenes leadership wins and strategies that actually work.

Because all it takes is one bold move to shatter barriers, inspire your team, and make your mark.