Throughout our career paths, we are constantly faced with situations where we need to make (small or large) decisions. A common question which so many ambitious individuals are faced with is “Should I become a leader or an expert?” In other words, should you remain an individual contributor and delve deeper into your field to build up a high level of expertise, or become a leader who will support and motivate others to thrive in their roles?
For someone whose only experience so far has been as an individual contributor, it can be hard to imagine which path they’re better suited for and what would make them more fulfilled. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at making leadership vs. specialization career choices, the benefits and disadvantages of becoming either a leader or an expert in your field, what can help you make the right decision, and much more.
Making any really good career decision is almost impossible without knowing what you want, what your values are, and what strengths you bring to the table. Without a good knowledge of yourself as a base, you’re leaving choosing between a leader or expert career path largely up to chance and external factors.
One of the key practices to help you achieve better self-knowledge is to engage in constant self-reflection. Take time periodically to sit down with yourself and look back on your day, week, month or year while asking yourself questions and evaluating the time period in question. To help you get going, here are a few great suggestions for questions you can ask yourself in your self-reflection sessions from the recruitment company Page Personnel:
As you continue to practice self-reflection on a regular basis, you will gain a better understanding of what fulfills you, energizes you, and what you would want from your career in the future to make it fulfilling.
If you feel stuck, overwhelmed, and not able to identify specific values and expectations from which to draw your career goals, a very effective way to get help with this is working with a career coach. How does coaching work? By asking you the right questions, a good coach will be able to guide you to finding the right answers within yourself. Many individuals who have worked with career coaches report gaining clarity on their career path, understanding which next steps they need to take, and being able to set clear career goals much easier than before. Finding a coach or getting connected with one via a coaching platform is a great first step to deciding between a leadership or specialist career path.
Do you have greater clarity now on what you want from your career? Is developing hard or soft skills more important to you? Do you care more about job security, or would you rather be able to easily transfer between employers? There are many factors to weigh in when choosing a leadership or expert path. To give you a brief idea of what you might want to consider when comparing your options, here is a rundown of a few benefits and possible downsides of the two paths.
Many tend to associate leadership roles with bold, extroverted personalities, and so it can be easy for introverted, quieter individuals to dismiss this path as not a good fit for them. However, the experiences and observations actually tend to show that a variety of personality types can thrive in leadership roles. In fact, many well-known successful leaders describe themselves as introverts. With the right mindset, skills, and willingness to learn, you can lead, motivate and inspire others even if you may not think so now. What you should consider though is what makes leadership roles different from individual contributor roles and think about how you would feel in such a position.
Like leaders, people in specialist roles are also subject to a number of stereotypes which can put others off potentially choosing this path. Being a specialist doesn’t necessarily mean sitting alone in a dark room with no contact with the outside world. Specialists will often come together to collaborate on projects or may be asked to advise leaders on areas where people in management roles have only surface level knowledge. It’s also untrue that specialists cannot be high earners. Here are a few things you should consider when thinking about pursuing an expert career path.
Have you identified your core values, strengths, and passions to gain clarity about what you want in your career?
Have you set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound goals for your career?
Are you consistently working on developing and improving the skills necessary for success in your career?
Have you actively expanded your professional network by connecting with peers and industry experts?
Are you regularly seeking out new learning opportunities, courses, or workshops to stay up-to-date?
Do you actively seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, or supervisors to identify areas for improvement and where you would be better suited for?
Have you explored leadership roles within your organization or industry to understand the responsibilities and requirements?
Have you thoroughly researched and evaluated the potential benefits and drawbacks of becoming a specialist in your field, as well as what opportunities to specialize are available to you?
Are you seeking guidance from experienced professionals or mentors who can provide insights into your career path?
Are you committed to continuous personal growth and adaptation in your career journey, recognizing that it's an ongoing process?
Whether you decide for a leadership or specialist career path, keep in mind that the world of work is always evolving and you are too. It’s possible that your values and needs in ten years time will have changed and you might want to shift your focus. Whether you want to explore our opportunities or need help reaching specific goals, always keep in mind that there are ways to seek support from other professionals, mentors, or coaches depending on your current situation and needs.
