#22: How to get out of a career slump

A point of view from a leadership coach that specializes in helping comms pros

At my first full time role, my manager and I had a meeting about ambition. She told me there are people who fixate on becoming a VP by 30. There are people who chase the clients with the most prestige. People who want to work directly with the people whose last names were etched on the building and on our paychecks. And there were others that wanted to hit the midlevel, senior account executive, and just stay there forever, comfortable. 

And of course, there are people who flow and shift and ebb based on their stage of life. 

But there are many people who hit a plateau, what I call the midcareer slump. 

It’s a phenomenon that hits many. That’s why I was so happy to speak with Louise Thompson, a leadership coach specializing in aspiring and first time leaders in Communications and Marketing.

She also has a Substack called Lead with Intention, which is for anyone interested in navigating the challenges of modern leadership — I personally find her LinkedIn insights and newsletter helpful. 

Let me know in the comments what you think of her advice!

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Tell me about yourself. How did you get into coaching? What kinds of clients do you serve?

I discovered the power of coaching when I was a Director of Communications in a busy NHS Trust. I sat on the board, so was part of an executive team looking after the needs of thousands of employees and many many patients. Understandably, this was a big challenge, with huge responsibility - lives were literally on the line - and we were going through a lot of organizational change as well, so it was a really demanding time personally and professionally. 

I was offered an external coach to work with me to support me in bringing my best to the table every day, feeling comfortable in the role and in myself as an authentic leader. I got so much out of it, I went on to study for a year at the NHS Leadership academy as part of its program for executive leaders. This centered around the very powerful coaching question for leaders: “What’s it like to be on the receiving end of you?” which I still use with clients to this day. I think it’s the best question to get you doing some honest self-reflection as you think about who you are and who you want to be as a leader. 

I wrote this at the time about the experience.

I then qualified as a leadership coach whilst still working full time in NHS Communications and now coach aspiring and first time communications leaders to help them build confidence and credibility, so that they can succeed as a valued leader. I want all communications leaders to take their place at the table!

Anecdotally, I see many PR and comms professionals get “stuck” at the midlevel. They stay at SAE/PR Manager and don’t progress. What do you think holds people at that level?

Let’s not discount that some people are comfortable where they are, they add value and enjoy their role and they might not want to move into a formal leadership role. 

But for those that do and feel stuck, I have a few suggestions. 

One undeniable factor, particularly in agencies, is the organizational squeeze. We all know that good SAEs and Account Managers are like gold! I had a leadership role in an agency and these were always the hardest roles to fill. So sometimes, you can get stuck as a result of organizational inefficiency, nervousness about replacing your specific skill set, the inability to hire / promote beneath you fast enough or your employer not wanting to be “top heavy” in a team. 

If that’s the case for you, I recommend being really clear with your line manager what your aspirations are, then proactively suggesting a timeline and objectives to hit in order to get there. Get it agreed in writing. Take control of your development and make sure you are asking for opportunities and engaging with your leadership team, as well as recording your achievements and being vocal about them internally and externally. That way, you’re on the right track even if it doesn’t pan out in the specific organisation you belong to (that will be their loss) and can more easily gain a leadership position elsewhere if that’s what you want. 

Another thing I see, and this is a big one, is the lack of support out there to help communications professionals with great technical skills become effective leaders. You can be brilliant at your job as an SAE - maybe no one else can even come close to your media relations or writing skills - but do people see you as a well-rounded leader? Do you possess (and demonstrate) empathy, self-awareness, great listening skills, context aware decision making, all the traits that really good modern leaders have? I think there’s this assumption that being good at your job equals being a good leader and it’s not necessarily so.

Leadership skills, like anything worth having, need your time, your commitment and your perseverance. Throwing you into your first leadership role without support and role models is irresponsible at best and damaging (to both you and your people) at worst. 

If you know you want to lead in a more formal capacity, look around you for positive role models (they may not even be in your own organization) and start to identify what it is that resonates for you in their approach. You may even ask them to mentor you. Ask for a coach, or invest in one yourself, who will do the hard work with you. This means being prepared to hold a mirror up to yourself as a leader and reflect on what stares back at you! Then doing the work to address issues, overcome stumbling blocks, build confidence, and crucially, develop your own authentic style as a leader. 

You may not lead like your manager. And that’s a good thing. We’re all unique and finding your voice in leadership helps you feel confident in your skin and able to take your place at the table. 

Finally, don’t forget that we are all human and what goes on at work is only a tiny piece of our whole life. Even though it may feel like it takes up every nook and cranny in your head and in your heart. Again, take some time for self-reflection and self-examination if you are feeling stuck. Ask yourself why you feel stuck, how you feel about it and what might free you. 

The answers may surprise you, but they will always move you forward, whether that is out of the SAE role or not. 

What are the most common problems/challenges you see people encounter at the director level?

I'm amazed by the fact that technical excellence is often assumed to be the only qualification for a director-level role. It goes without saying that as a newly appointed director of communications or PR agency director, you will have expertise in your field. But what about the rest of it?

Empathetic leadership skills? People development? Stakeholder management? Leading through change? Delivering bad news? Making tough decisions? Understanding and contributing to the bottom line? Speaking the language of the board?

And the big one in my opinion, can you transcend your functional competencies to be a leader across the organization?

These are all challenges every Director faces and I wish more organizations would help prepare and support people as they move into these roles. Too often, they are thrown in at the deep end and the coaching and learning comes later if they are lucky. 

Another challenge I see with many of the people I coach is the transition from manager to leader in terms of how they work. You may be used to being the font of all knowledge and the back stop for any technical/functional questions. You may be a micromanager. You may be available to your team all the time. This will evolve as you step into leadership and this can be a steep learning curve. As a director, I had to learn how to step away from my team and leave them in charge of what they were best at, so I could do what I was best at - lead the organization. 

I had to get comfortable with the fact that my portfolio of responsibilities now included teams and functions I wasn’t as familiar with and certainly not the expert in. It takes some adjustment. 

I was fortunate enough to work with a coach as a newish Director of Communications and it helped me enormously in terms of my understanding of myself as a leader and how this came across to others, including ways I could address any issues and challenges. However, before I was able to engage one, I made my fair share of mistakes.

Failure can be a powerful teacher. But you are already challenging yourself by taking on this new role and working with a coach can help you side-step some of the most common mistakes inexperienced new directors make.

What is your advice for anyone wanting to reach the director level - or exceed at the director level - this year?

Firstly, dig deep and reflect on what you really want out of your next step. Where do you see yourself in five or ten years’ time? Be honest. 

If it’s to progress to a Director level, then your next step is to get clear on your “WHY and WHAT” - why do you want this, what will you bring to the role, what will the role add to your life and career and what is the best outcome that could result from you becoming that leader?

Write a vision statement for how you, your team, your organisation and your customers/stakeholders will benefit if you become an effective leader.

Reflect on your key strengths as an aspiring leader. Ask others what they think. And think about the type of leader you want to be. Then do the work to uncover this within yourself and model it everyday. 

Take the time to deeply understand the transition from manager to leader and seek support if you need it.

How do you help clients that are encountering a mid-career slump? How do you get out of it?

I use a lot of the advice I’ve spoken about above and I really believe in asking challenging and provocative questions as a coach, to help people get to the root of what is really going on. Coaching is about active listening and asking the right questions, so that the person being coached can find the answers within themselves. It’s much more powerful than simply being told what worked for someone else. They’re not you! Take good advice by all means, but make your own decisions about your life and career. 

The most important thing by far is to spend some time with how you are feeling. Not to wallow, but to gently inquire, ask questions and offer yourself support - treat yourself like you would treat someone you cared about who was feeling the same way. And never be afraid to ask for help, in whatever form that comes.

Also, find something you love outside of work and go do that thing for a bit! My thing is gardening and it was always the best respite from the challenges of my job and any difficult times. 

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