You have a great track record. People know, like, and trust you. So why does your career growth feel weirdly fuzzy? Your next step isn’t presenting itself in the clear, predictable way you expected. The path forward feels like the Appalachian Trail covered in downed trees.
The traditional career path is usually visualized as a ladder. It’s linear and assumes you’ll work for the same organization your whole career. The rungs are clearly marked from entry-level to C-Suite and you climb them until you reach the top. Or until you reach a broken rung or hit the glass ceiling. (Do NOT get me started.)
It’s likely you are making lateral career moves rather than always moving up. Your season of life, ability to adapt, and willingness to upskill are just some of the variables impacting your ascent. Thanks to the pandemic and the advent of AI, the career ladder has transitioned to more of a career tree. A tree grows in multiple directions and stays stable because of its structure. Your career can work the same way.
The Career Tree Framework
Roots are values – These are the conditions you need to do good work and stay well. They shape what you say yes to.
The trunk is core skills – These are the power skills you rely on across contexts. The trunk holds your work steady as projects change.
Branches are domains – A domain is an area where you can create consistent results. Domains can be functional, operational, customer-facing, technical, or cross-team.
Leaves are projects – Projects demonstrate how strong your branch is. They create visible proof.
Fruit is outcomes – Outcomes are the results other people can point to. They make your value portable.
Rings are seasons – Seasons reflect capacity and constraints. A season can change your pace while growth continues.
Pruning is quitting – Pruning removes work that drains capacity and credibility. It creates room for growth.
What Counts as a Lateral Move
- Taking ownership of a problem area for a quarter
- Shifting into a new domain while staying at the same level
- Leading a project that changes how a team operates
- Expanding scope inside your role, then packaging the outcomes clearly
What Makes Lateral Moves Legitimate
Legitimacy comes from proof. A new branch becomes real when it produces good outcomes, builds trust, and creates repeatable value. Lateral growth becomes visible when you can point to fruit, connect it to trunk skills, and name the domain you strengthened. When priorities shift, you are able to redirect effort with less disruption because your trunk skills travel across branches. You maintain momentum when your value does not depend on a single branch.
Branch Health Diagnostic
Some branches increase leverage. Some branches increase workload. A weak branch often looks like endless research, unclear ownership, and invisible outcomes. Here are examples of healthy branches.
- The work creates reusable assets, systems, templates, or decision paths
- The work reduces recurring friction for other people
- The work builds your reputation for judgment and follow-through
- The work produces outcomes that matter to stakeholders
Stakeholder Map
Your career growth depends on visibility and sponsorship. For the branch you want to grow, write down:
- Who benefits from the outcomes
- Who decides priorities and resourcing
- Who can validate the results
- Who can sponsor your next proof project
For the extended article including the 10-minute Branch Inventory Exercise and the Pruning Playbook sent right to your inbox, subscribe to my Substack.
How do you steer your career when the path isn’t obvious?