At the start:
corporate law
lawyer and partner
Cas had been working for an internationally operating legal advisory organization for years and had since grown into a senior partner. He had an excellent reputation in the market, which had become much broader than his field. And he had also been a member of the executive board of the office.
He noticed that in his practice he found less challenge and especially innovation and sometimes thought back with nostalgia to that board time.
Determined to step out at the peak, he indicated that in recent years he had been so focused on his practice that he did not know what was out there. 'How do people view my experience and what can and do I want to pick up in a new phase of my life?'
During our trajectory
Together we went through the career strategy program in six months, which, in combination with the hectic nature of his practice, took a little longer than usual. That deepening taught us that it would be very nice to do something in international diplomacy, as a troubleshooter or negotiator. He could actually put all his experience and qualities into that: the law, managing projects, his diplomacy and his sharp mind. And it seemed to fit in nicely with his need to be even more internationally active, to really do something completely different and to have a lot of variety.
But practice proved to be quite stubborn. Exploratory talks in that direction made it clear that such a switch was not really obvious and could therefore require a lot of time and attention ... and he did not (yet) have that. And when, after a while of 'seeing what comes my way', not much happened, Cas made the brave decision to start ending his professional practice.
That would, according to both of us, further open the door to new opportunities – especially mentally, but perhaps also in the market. And coincidence or not, almost immediately a role that seemed very different at first glance crossed his path. One that was not in foreign diplomacy, but in the meantime turned out to have surprisingly many similarities with what he was actually looking for.
Here too, he would be responsible for a number of large international projects, where his knowledge of the legal and his skill as a bridge builder would be essential. Here too, he would manage a small, high-quality team of specialists. And here too, there would be an established 'reputable' organization with a very broad and international perspective.
But there was another cherry on the cake: a role as executive director within an international group with a very wide range of business activities.
And then:
executive director
at a multinational
All in all, a real stroke of luck. But also a situation with constant high pressure, a lot of travel and also, of course, the quirks of a large multinational (corporate) company. Based on the knowledge built up during our trajectory and our relationship, we also continued to work together in those years. We called that our 'maintenance contract'. In addition to all kinds of old and new business issues, more personal questions and situations also came up, which required an answer. Which we playfully always found again.
In the meantime, we are already thinking about a next step, even if it is still a while away. That's actually simple. The line of thinking is ready ... now it's a matter of broadcasting that thought and waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. And the beauty is, it will probably look just a little different than expected. Because that's life.
Please note: This is a fictional case, based on a mix of experiences from my work with clients.
