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The Most Common Next Career Move (Hint: People Are Looking Up) 

There are several ways people can make their next career move—moving up within a company, moving across within a company, moving to an entirely different company, and even moving to an entirely different industry. But according to my Finka Inc. Career Advancement Forecast, the most common move people are looking to make as their next step is up within their current company. They’re seeking leadership with a title. Hands-down, a title doesn’t make someone a leader—that’s internal work and something people develop into. However, especially in corporate settings, it does bolster influence. The caveat though is that those who expressed this as their next career move don’t exactly know where to go or how to get there to make it happen. If you’re in the same boat, continue reading to capture and implement five strategies that guide the way.  

Why Do People Want to Move Up with a Title?

The key findings in my Finka Inc. Career Advancement Forecast showed that people want to grow in their careers, that they’re in fact looking up to climb the ladder and would prefer a leadership position with a title. 

We know having a title doesn’t make someone a leader, so why is it so important?  

Influence

First off, data from the report shows that 24% of corporate leaders and professionals struggle to influence leadership in their company. While leadership is internally developed, having a title does bolster influence and make people on the senior bench take you more seriously.  

Impact

Secondly, people are seeking titles because they want to have a broader impact. One respondent said, “I want to lead a team and get a promotion,” while another stated, “I want to expand my career by embracing more senior leadership responsibilities.” 

So really, it all comes down to garnering influence and a purposeful, meaningful impact.  

Designing Your Leadership Growth Pathway

Having a goal is one thing—achieving it is a whole other process. Many of the report respondents want to transition into leadership with a title, but they need support getting there. They’re not clear on where to go and how to get there: 

“I don’t see a path forward in my career in the organization.” 

Have you said something similar to yourself? If you have the same goal, you need a plan to get there, and I’ll show you how with five strategies that have helped me transition to leadership in my own career.  

Strategy 1: Be Intentional

Doing something for the sake of doing something is like drinking from an empty cup; it won’t sustain you and keep you fulfilled long-term. When considering what your next opportunity is, take a good hard look at Your Brilliant Difference: 

  • Your Brilliance: your unique talents, skills, and capabilities.  
  • Your Difference: the impact you leave and the transformations you take people through because of who you are and what you do. 

Focusing on your Brilliant Difference will ensure that your next opportunity is exactly aligned with your skills and purpose. Meaning, you’ll be set up for sustainable, long-term success as a leader.  

Being intentional comes in two parts though. While seeking a new, aligned opportunity, align your Brilliant Difference to continue shining in your current role. How you perform in your current role will fuel the success of your next one. 

Strategy 2: Go Deep or Go Wide

There are two options to help you flex your leadership and forge your next career pathway: going deep or going wide. Going deep means double-clicking on a particular skill set. For example, in Human Resources, people often dabble in employee engagement, employee well-being, recruiting, etc. Maybe recruiting really entices you. That could be a new role to flex your leadership and shine in.  

Going wide circles back to having a broader impact. So, maybe instead of being a Human Resources Business Partner, you want to be promoted to Chief Human Resources Officer.  

Now, this looks different for everyone. When I was at my crossroads, my “going wider” was a lateral move to a different department within my organization. In case you don’t know, I spent my 20+-year corporate career in financial services. For the majority of my career, I was a Sales Leader who transitioned into HR and leadership development. My favourite part of being a Sales Leader was the people development side and helping people reach their goals. So, I broadened that impact by moving into a role that allowed me to develop and support even more people.  

Strategy 3: Have an Excellence Mindset vs. Accomplishment Mindset

For knowing where to go next in your career that supports your leadership, having the right mindset is key. When looking to grow into your next opportunity, you’ll flourish with an Excellence Mindset vs. an Accomplishment Mindset.  

While an Accomplishment Mindset is fueled by outcomes and results, an Excellence Mindset is driven by being exceptional and one’s best throughout the entire process. In short, having an Accomplishment Mindset means you’re energized by quick wins, whereas with an Excellence Mindset, you’re fulfilled by how good of a job you’ve put forth. Sometimes, we definitely need a balance, but an Excellence Mindset is healthier and more sustainable when branching into leadership. Even if you don’t hit a specific, determined target, you can still feel good because you know you gave it your all and developed yourself in the process. 

Strategy 4: Use Your Brilliant Difference as an Act of Service

While your Brilliant Difference acts as a compass to make sure your next step aligns with your integrity and skills, it also helps you focus on the impact you create for others and how you help people reach their goals. This means doing things outside of your job description. 

For example, when I started as an HR Business Partner at BMO, coaching wasn’t required of me, but it was something I was passionate about and went above and beyond to do. I really took the time to understand the needs of the senior leaders I was supporting, which led me to finding out that they were struggling to hit one of their goals. So, I pitched a workshop topic surrounding the goal they were struggling with to help them reach a solution. It wasn’t in my job description, but it was definitely a part of my Brilliant Difference and an act of service that supported the team tenfold.  

Strategy 5: Futureproof Your Leadership with Skills

Leadership is about evolving and adapting, and the same goes for your skills. We’ve never lived in a time where change has become so vast and swift, and there are two areas to bolster your skills in. 

AI and Technology

Already, according to Goldman Sachs, AI is now integrated into 25-50% of jobs. This varies by industry but imagine what that will look like in 5 years. How can you adapt and grow your AI and technology skills to lead the way for your team? Consider this when looking for training and learning opportunities.  

Personal Branding

In a way, leadership is about building followers and fans. People need to feel inspired by you and buy into your ideas, and this becomes easier when you have a strong personal brand, both online and offline. When curating your personal brand, use your Brilliant Difference is the foundation. Remember, a personal brand is how others perceive you when you’re not around. It’s how you present yourself publicly.  

Start Your Leadership Momentum

I know stepping into a new leadership role can be scary. I’ve been there. But if you apply these five strategies, I promise you the process will become clearer and more direct. They helped me immensely when I was looking to elevate my impact. If you have any questions, you can always email me at finka@finkainc.com. For even more leadership development support and guidance, subscribe to my community newsletter, Find Your Brilliance. Every Thursday, you get a fresh blog (like this one) and resources delivered to your inbox to support your leadership journey! I’m rooting for you and am excited to see what moves you make this year.  

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