I’ve Coached 10+ Executives Through Career Transitions. They All Believed the Same 3 “Lies.”
10+ VPs, Directors, and Partners. Fortune 500 pedigrees. Impressive résumés.
All stuck!
Not because they lacked options. Because they believed stories that sounded like wisdom, but were actually fear in disguise.
Here are the 3 “lies” I hear most often:
𝟭. “𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝘁.”
This one sounds responsible. Prudent, even.
But readiness is rarely binary. You don’t wait until you feel 100% qualified. You grow into the next role.
The executives who made successful transitions? They moved when they were 70% ready. The other 30%? They figured it out on the way.
The ones still waiting for the “perfect moment”? They’re still waiting.
𝟮. “𝗜'𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁.”
No. You wouldn’t.
You’re not erasing your career. You’re evolving it.
Your network travels with you. Your leadership instincts travel with you. Your ability to navigate complexity doesn’t disappear because you change industries or titles.
The problem: too many executives tie their identity to their current role.
Your career is a portfolio, not a single stock.
𝟯. “𝗜'𝗺 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿.”
Starting something new is not starting over.
You’re bringing decades of leadership muscle, decision-making frameworks, and execution instincts. That doesn’t reset to zero.
One client told me this exact line. Six months later, she was leading a team in a completely different industry — more money, more autonomy than she’d ever had.
She didn’t start over. She started forward.
💡 The Hard Truth
These lies feel protective. They sound like wisdom.
They’re really fear dressed up in a suit.
The executives who make successful transitions? They move anyway.
💬 Which of these have you told yourself? (I’ll go first: #1 kept me stuck for years.)
💥 I’m Howard — an executive coach helping high-achieving professionals navigate what’s next.
🔔 Ring my profile for more.