Stop Trying to Climb the Corporate Ladder: Transcend the Corporate Ladder Instead

Climbing the corporate ladder has become an almost ubiquitous pursuit among those working in professional settings. An individual’s desire to receive recognition from their manager or supervisor can prove to be the driving force that leads them to more responsibility and well-deserved increases in compensation, title, and prestige. Despite this, many individuals who attempt to climb the corporate ladder end up exactly where they began.

There are no shortcuts in life, so ensuring you are on the right path is critical to maximizing how fast you can climb.

Transcending the corporate ladder, however, can provide opportunities that far exceed any attainable through climbing the ladder alone. By attempting to transcend the ladder, employees are able to use their job skills and experiences to create new opportunities outside their company as well. This could mean obtaining a more prestigious position with another company or even creating a side business – both of which can enhance overall earnings, job satisfaction, and professional growth.

The key to transcending the corporate ladder is to no longer limit yourself to the traditional career path that is expected and to create value for those in and around your industry (or others) who are outside the walls of your company. Pursuing projects outside your current role can provide valuable experience in other areas and give you insight into potential opportunities. Similarly, developing relationships with individuals in other industries and attending industry-specific events can lead to a better understanding of the overall business landscape.

Transcending the corporate ladder is easier said than done. There are no shortcuts in life, so ensuring you are on the right path is critical to maximizing how fast you can climb. In this article, I’ll break down a method that anyone can use to climb up and out.

It’s All About Who You Know: Make Friends in the Right Places

I’ve always been fortunate to be able to make friends with the people I meet. When I was in high school, I made friends with the principal’s secretary. Her office was on my route to lunch and she was friendly, so I would stop in and chat with her on a regular basis. Other kids who visited the principal’s office were in need of interventions, but I was already transcending the corporate ladder and I didn’t know it.

The staff of an organization is there to make things happen. To do that, they need people who can do some lifting from time to time, but they also need to explain how things work to outsiders in order to get support and move things forward.

In the last week of my junior year, I got caught skipping class and was referred to the principal. It was the first time I was formally reprimanded for anything in high school and I was worried about how it would impact my advancement. I visited the principal’s secretary to ask what would happen to me. She told me that the referral would be “filed away… in the trash can.”

Since that time, I’ve always made friends with the staff inside organizations that I participate in or volunteer for. The staff of an organization is there to make things happen. To do that, they need people who can do some lifting from time to time, but they also need to explain how things work to outsiders in order to get support and move things forward. Most of the opportunities that I’ve been afforded come by way of these relationships.

Organizations to seek out might include professional organizations, industry associations, nonprofit organizations, civic groups, and fundraisers. In these groups, you’ll find ample opportunities to meet the professional staff, other members, and those who serve on committees and the board of directors. It takes time to make friends, so be sure to attend events, connect and engage with others on social media, seek out opportunities to volunteer, and ask questions.

Seek Out Leadership Roles to Signal Your Competence & Drive

When speaking to staff or leadership within an organization, ask about committees or the board of directors and how someone might navigate finding opportunities to serve. Let them know that you are interested. It will come up again that a talented leader is willing to step in when needed. When you serve on a board or a committee, you meet people outside of your company and demonstrate your skills and experience to others who might pave a pathway for your future.

Extracurricular leadership titles are prestigious on their own and serve as an indicator of your leadership ability to others. This may end up serving you as you are recognized by your peers and superiors, but it doesn’t end there. These roles may serve as a stepping stone to leadership within the organization or they may open up new career opportunities or positions within other influential organizations.

Create Value for the World & Materialize Value for Yourself

Finally, think of yourself as a valuable asset to the world. You have something that no one else has and can offer your unique talents in order to make the world a better place. Whether it’s through volunteering at a soup kitchen, helping others with their career goals, or finding ways to give back to society, creating value for the world doesn’t go unnoticed.

By utilizing your talents to make the world a better place, you not only help those in need but also gain recognition. People will recognize your skills and value and may be more likely to recommend you for positions or open doors that have previously been closed. This is a great way to get out of a slump and take advantage of new opportunities and it’s a great way to expand your network of connected people.

The more people who see your leadership skills, the more others will seek you out for leadership roles without you having to do anything else.

Leverage the Opportunity to Develop Your Leadership Skills

When you land a position on a committee or board or if you’ve ascended to a leadership role in any organization, it’s imperative that you “do the work.” If you don’t carry your expected weight, people will notice and it could end up hurting your reputation. On the flip side of the coin, if you exceed expectations, people will take notice of your leadership ability and skills.

Leadership is an asset that can take you far in life as it’s an indication of capability, experience, and reliability. The more experience you have leading others or managing projects, the greater the value you bring to organizations or opportunities. The more people who see your leadership skills, the more others will seek you out for leadership roles without you having to do anything else.

When you have a reason, you can go straight to the top, but it’s a lot of work, so be prepared.

If in a leadership capacity, work to understand how much time you have in your role and strive to identify specific ways you can leave your mark in that timeframe. Pursue your responsibilities with that vision as your beacon, your talking points, and the glue that will lead the team to success.

Allow Your Goodwill to Pay You Returns

I’m a big believer in “what goes around, comes around.” Those who are generous with their time are rewarded. It’s perhaps not a direct cause and effect that you will volunteer and get something in return, but goodwill can be built over time, and the more of it you build up, the greater the value of opportunity that can be withdrawn from your community.

When the time comes for your next level-up, your extracurricular experience may be something you can point to as creating value for your company in order to lock in the promotion. If you get stuck in a difficult place and need a new opportunity, you’ll have an army of supporters who are willing to help you find what you need because they value your prior selfless effort.

While I personally sit at the top of my corporate ladder, it doesn’t mean that I don’t also get value out of climbing the community social ladder. The larger my network of influential people, the more business opportunities my company is afforded, and it gets easier to get into circles with others I might want to befriend.

In my own pursuit of professional opportunities through networking in this way, I have sat on boards, joined steering committees, and participated in or presided over business associations, chambers of commerce, municipal boards, civic associations, nonprofit boards, and large fundraising efforts in three different cities. In the two short years that I lived in New Haven, Connecticut, I sat on a chamber committee, was president of a well-known nonprofit board, and served at the pleasure of the mayor as a member of the Economic Development Commission.

When you have a reason, you can go straight to the top, but it’s a lot of work, so be prepared.

Everyone Gets to Choose Their Path

There is no one path to success and the journey will be different for everyone. The best advice I can give you is that wherever you find yourself on your career and leadership journey, take it one step at a time, put in the effort, build relationships, and don’t ever stop growing as an individual. When you do that, you’ll find that the right opportunities arise and you will be moving in the direction of success. Good luck on your journey!