The ladder is definitely not linear, and can indeed fluctuate even on the same day. By morning, I can be a manager prepping the team for an upcoming challenge, and by late afternoon, I can be back in my analyst brain, facing another data challenge head-on.
Oh yes, I've done that. In my case, removing the empty pouches from the bottom drawer of our coffee machine. It shocks me - people will sit and avoid coffee, just not to empty that!
Bloom's taxonomy as a career progression framework maps really well onto The Ready Set's leadership model. Most people get stuck at "Apply" (reliably executing) and never make the cognitive leap to "Analyze" or "Evaluate," which is where real influence starts.
In The Ready Set, it emphasizes intentional awareness and adaptive thinking as core behaviors, and that's exactly what this framework is describing: the shift from doing the work to seeing the system, then shaping it. The question "What am I building that didn't exist before I came?" is the Create-level version of legacy leadership: not just performing well, but leaving something meaningful behind that others can build on.
Thanks for sharing! That’s a really powerful question - and one that in my experience most new leaders struggle to answer as they transition into their new roles. This is completely natural, though you have to put in significant effort early on so that this kind of question can be answered later down the line.
This was a profound read! Really steps towards how thinking can be organized for a quality output and in a way that is beneficial to others. Love this because not only it is applicable in profession but also in merging learnings and patterns across any learnings of life. Really helpful, thankyou for sharing 🙌🏻
Thanks for sharing - I agree! I do think that it’s all about those little moments adding up over time. And if they’re mission aligned they’re most likely to lead your career in a direction that works for you.
The ladder is definitely not linear, and can indeed fluctuate even on the same day. By morning, I can be a manager prepping the team for an upcoming challenge, and by late afternoon, I can be back in my analyst brain, facing another data challenge head-on.
And sometimes I’m cleaning the coffee machine filter 🤣 When you reach the top you’re the ultimate multitasker!
Oh yes, I've done that. In my case, removing the empty pouches from the bottom drawer of our coffee machine. It shocks me - people will sit and avoid coffee, just not to empty that!
Bloom's taxonomy as a career progression framework maps really well onto The Ready Set's leadership model. Most people get stuck at "Apply" (reliably executing) and never make the cognitive leap to "Analyze" or "Evaluate," which is where real influence starts.
In The Ready Set, it emphasizes intentional awareness and adaptive thinking as core behaviors, and that's exactly what this framework is describing: the shift from doing the work to seeing the system, then shaping it. The question "What am I building that didn't exist before I came?" is the Create-level version of legacy leadership: not just performing well, but leaving something meaningful behind that others can build on.
Thanks for sharing! That’s a really powerful question - and one that in my experience most new leaders struggle to answer as they transition into their new roles. This is completely natural, though you have to put in significant effort early on so that this kind of question can be answered later down the line.
This post has expanded my mind today. It has saved me years that I could have spent groping in the dark as far as my professional life is concerned.
Thank you so much Andrea!
That’s for the feedback, this is amazing to read! 🤩 I’m happy to hear this helped
This was a profound read! Really steps towards how thinking can be organized for a quality output and in a way that is beneficial to others. Love this because not only it is applicable in profession but also in merging learnings and patterns across any learnings of life. Really helpful, thankyou for sharing 🙌🏻
Thank you so much for the feedback, I’m happy to hear it helped! 🤩
This is an eye-opening work! It shows me where I stand and what I need to do right now.
Thank you.
This is wonderful to hear!
Truly insightful and eye opening. Thank you for sharing Andrea.
Thank you so much!
Breakthrough on the cushion: ✓
Breakthrough when the alarm goes off and everything’s already on fire: ❌
Here’s the difference (and how to fix it): https://open.substack.com/pub/nwlehmann90/p/so-youre-a-guru-now-but-you-still
Truly insightful and eye opening. Thank you for sharing Andrea.
Thanks for sharing - I agree! I do think that it’s all about those little moments adding up over time. And if they’re mission aligned they’re most likely to lead your career in a direction that works for you.