Insight
A Faer Point: Transitioning for Success
In January's A Faer Point, Roger Russell discusses some of the key considerations senior executives may have when deciding whether to transition into a new sector.In January's A Faer Point, Roger Russell discusses some of the key considerations senior executives may have when deciding whether to transition into a new sector.
For many senior executives, the post – Covid era has brought about a significant change in thinking on how organisations operate and adapt to new working practices. More recently, the emergence and impact of artificial intelligence and new tools are reshaping consumer behaviours, industries and jobs and dramatically shifting the future professional landscape.
This has led to many re-evaluating their lives and career direction. For some, it is an opportunity to retire or to try to utilise their considerable experience in a non-executive or interim capacity. For others still in their mid-to-late career, it has led to thoughts of moving into another sector where their deep knowledge or domain skills could potentially benefit organisations navigating significant change.
However, transitioning into a different career path in this way requires careful research into the sector or role you are considering, and an honest exploration of how your skills and experience will match the options you are looking at.
At Faerfield, we often find that executives wanting to transition into the public sector for instance are genuinely attracted by the wish to contribute and give back to society. Whilst this is commendable often it seems to suggest that that the public sector will not provide professional stretch, and it most certainly does. Public sector leadership roles can often come with a scale and complexity of responsibilities not imagined in even in the largest of private sector organisations. Responsibility for substantial budgets and managing contracts of significant value make every decision high stakes, especially when those decisions have the added dimension of political and public scrutiny.
Public sector leadership often requires managing significant scale and complexity, rigorous governance and, crucially, the ability to lead through influence rather than authority alone. To be successful in these roles requires systems leadership, the ability to navigate networks of stakeholders, each with their own interests and agendas. Leading through influence is critical, as direct control in the public sector is often impossible. Creating alliances, collaborating with diverse groups, and leveraging relationships are essential for driving large-scale and complex change.
Public sector roles offer a unique opportunity to contribute to and build a legacy of meaningful impact across society, but it doesn’t stop there. The skills that can be developed in the public sector, in bringing together and developing complex strategic alliances, are highly sought-after in the commercial world, and something that can have real value if a return to the private sector is a part of a longer-term career strategy.
For many senior executives, the post – Covid era has brought about a significant change in thinking on how organisations operate and adapt to new working practices. More recently, the emergence and impact of artificial intelligence and new tools are reshaping consumer behaviours, industries and jobs and dramatically shifting the future professional landscape.
This has led to many re-evaluating their lives and career direction. For some, it is an opportunity to retire or to try to utilise their considerable experience in a non-executive or interim capacity. For others still in their mid-to-late career, it has led to thoughts of moving into another sector where their deep knowledge or domain skills could potentially benefit organisations navigating significant change.
However, transitioning into a different career path in this way requires careful research into the sector or role you are considering, and an honest exploration of how your skills and experience will match the options you are looking at.
At Faerfield, we often find that executives wanting to transition into the public sector for instance are genuinely attracted by the wish to contribute and give back to society. Whilst this is commendable often it seems to suggest that that the public sector will not provide professional stretch, and it most certainly does. Public sector leadership roles can often come with a scale and complexity of responsibilities not imagined in even in the largest of private sector organisations. Responsibility for substantial budgets and managing contracts of significant value make every decision high stakes, especially when those decisions have the added dimension of political and public scrutiny.
Public sector leadership often requires managing significant scale and complexity, rigorous governance and, crucially, the ability to lead through influence rather than authority alone. To be successful in these roles requires systems leadership, the ability to navigate networks of stakeholders, each with their own interests and agendas. Leading through influence is critical, as direct control in the public sector is often impossible. Creating alliances, collaborating with diverse groups, and leveraging relationships are essential for driving large-scale and complex change.
Public sector roles offer a unique opportunity to contribute to and build a legacy of meaningful impact across society, but it doesn’t stop there. The skills that can be developed in the public sector, in bringing together and developing complex strategic alliances, are highly sought-after in the commercial world, and something that can have real value if a return to the private sector is a part of a longer-term career strategy.
Roger Russell is Partner with Faerfield Limited, specialising in Commercial and Government C-Suite and Board Appointments.
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