Would you believe me if I told you I’ve been promoted 10 times in 13 years—including 4 in just 4 years at one company (with a couple of secondments added for good measure)?
Before you assume I had it all figured out, let me tell you—I didn’t. It wasn’t just talent or luck. My biggest accelerators? Adaptability, resilience, and a deep understanding of people. But along the way, I faced challenges no one warns you about.
Today, I want to share what truly drives fast career growth—and what you need to sustain it.
🚀 The 3 Skills That Made the Biggest Impact
1️⃣ Adaptability & Learning Speed The future belongs to those who can learn fast and pivot quickly. A LinkedIn study found that people who make learning a habit are 47% less likely to feel stuck in their careers.
For me, it was all about seeing the big picture and then building the path to get there. I literally visualise problems as blocks in my head, constantly rearranging them to make sense of complexity.
💡 Lesson: The faster you can process new information and apply it, the faster you grow.
2️⃣ People Intelligence (Not Just Business Intelligence) The best strategies fail when people aren’t on board. Understanding human behaviour—why people resist change, what motivates them, how to remove ego from tough conversations—is what truly separates great leaders from good ones.
🔹 A Harvard Business Review study found that leaders with high emotional intelligence (EQ) drive 20% higher team performance.
In my case, learning to read between the lines and knowing when people needed clarity, not authority, was a game-changer.
💡 Lesson: You don’t manage processes—you lead people. Master that, and career growth follows.
3️⃣ Thriving in High-Pressure Environments I’ve worked across industries, cultures, and high-stakes environments. The reality? Success isn’t about avoiding chaos—it’s about staying calm in it.
According to McKinsey, 56% of executives say resilience is the #1 skill needed in leadership today.
I had to learn how to push hard without burning out — because high performance isn’t about going 110% all the time; it’s about knowing when to sprint and when to recover.
💡 Lesson: The most successful leaders don’t just work harder. They work smarter—and know when to step back before they crash.
😓 The Hardest Lessons No One Tells You
Let’s be real—fast promotions sound great, but here’s what I wasn’t prepared for:
🔹 Overwhelm is real—You can’t go full throttle forever. Learning resilience and balance made my high performance sustainable.
🔹 Leading is different from doing—Being great at your job doesn’t mean you’re great at leadership. I had to learn to lift others up, not just move ahead myself.
🔹 Fear & doubt never fully go away—Even when I felt overwhelmed or unsure, I learned to borrow the faith others had in me until I found my own again.
🔑 What Made the Difference?
✅ Mentors & Coaches: No one succeeds alone. The best investment you can make is in the people who challenge and guide you.
✅ Balance & Perspective: Find your calm in the storm. Overworking isn’t a badge of honour—it’s a fast track to burnout.
✅ A Sense of Humor: If you can’t laugh at the madness sometimes, you won’t survive it. (Yes, even CrossFit-induced pain.)
💡 So, What’s Next?
After leading in high-pressure environments and driving real transformation, I’ve taken everything I’ve learned and built my own leadership coaching and development business.
🚀 I help leaders accelerate their growth, businesses drive transformation, and teams become high-performing—without burning out in the process.
If you’re a leader looking to grow—or a business seeking real transformation—let’s talk. Because the best leaders don’t just rise; they lift others with them.
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