For the longest time, I had a pretty straightforward idea of success: climb, step by step, rung by rung. First, get good grades. Then a decent entry-level job. After that, a promotion. Another title change. More money. You know the drill.
I thought that was what ambition looked like—upward motion. Consistent, predictable progress. Anything else felt like stalling. But somewhere between my third “dream job” and my first real burnout, I started to notice something. Some of the most fulfilled, resilient people I knew weren’t following a straight line at all. They were moving like ivy—growing sideways, curling into new corners, doubling back to pick up skills they missed the first time, and shifting roles to build context instead of titles.
It was subtle, but unmistakable. Their careers looked less like ladders and more like lattices.
And once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it.
The Quiet Power of a Career Lattice
Think of a career lattice like a trellis in a garden. Growth isn’t just upward. It’s sideways, outward, even inward. Sometimes you grow by taking on a project outside your job description. Other times it’s moving to a new industry, or pausing to learn something that won’t pay off immediately—but deepens your capabilities in the long run.
The idea isn’t new. But its relevance? Timely. As we navigate a workforce where roles are evolving faster than ever, and where linear promotions are harder to come by (or even define), lateral growth is becoming not just strategic—but essential.
Lattice thinking gives permission to explore, expand, and evolve—without the guilt of not “moving up.” Because truthfully? Up is only one direction.
Let Go of the Old Map
If you grew up being taught that success looks like a straight staircase—degree, job, promotion, corner office—you’re not alone. That story still lingers in boardrooms, resumes, and awkward holiday conversations with extended family. But in practice? The world changed. Work changed. And we’ve changed, too.
Many of us have watched people “move up” only to burn out, plateau, or feel creatively numb. We’ve realized titles don’t always reflect talent. And promotions don’t always mean progress.
So if the traditional ladder feels misaligned with your values, vision, or life season—it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. It’s because you’re ready for a different framework.
Smart Move: Redefine growth in seasons, not just steps. Ask yourself: “What kind of growth do I need right now—deepening, expanding, stretching, or stabilizing?” The answer might surprise you.
How a Lattice Career Actually Looks (and Why It Works)
Lattice careers are often marked by moments that don’t “make sense” to outsiders—but feel deeply aligned to the person living them. They might include:
- A marketer taking a sabbatical to study UX design.
- A teacher pivoting into corporate learning and development.
- A project manager switching industries for the culture, not the paycheck.
- A parent downshifting temporarily to focus on family, then coming back with new clarity.
From the outside, these moves look sideways. But inside? They often build resilience, creativity, and strategic range—traits that are hard to list on a resume, but invaluable in the long run.
I’ve seen it firsthand. A friend moved from a large nonprofit to a small events agency. She lost the prestige but gained new skill sets in branding, communications, and operations. Three years later, she merged those two worlds into her dream role—launching social impact campaigns for a global brand.
It didn’t look like a ladder. But it worked.
What It Takes to Grow in a Lattice World
The truth? Lattice growth isn’t easier. It asks you to be self-aware, self-directed, and often self-compassionate. There's no blueprint—just your instincts, your values, and your willingness to be uncomfortable for a while in the name of long-term alignment.
Here’s what helps:
1. Curiosity Over Convention
When you’re not chasing promotions, you’re free to follow questions. What makes me feel alive at work? What kinds of problems do I love solving? These questions often lead to better growth than a performance review ever will.
Smart Move: Replace “What’s next?” with “What’s possible?” It opens doors you didn’t even know were there.
2. Build Skills, Not Just Status
Focus on what you're learning, not just what you’re earning. Skills compound. Titles don’t always. Whether it's learning how to write better emails, manage conflict, or understand data—lattice growth often happens quietly, in the trenches.
3. Let Your Values Lead
When you’re designing your own career path, you need a compass. That’s where values come in. Clarity around what matters to you—flexibility, impact, autonomy, creativity—helps filter opportunities that might look good on paper, but don’t feel right.
Smart Move: If you’re stuck, map out three versions of your next five years. One that’s safe, one that’s bold, and one that’s wild. Then sit with what each path awakens in you.
Permission to Pivot, Pause, and Play
One of the most radical parts of the lattice mindset? It makes room for non-linear moves without shame.
You can pivot. You can pause. You can even “downshift” if that’s what your life or health needs. And you can still be ambitious. Still be worthy. Still be growing.
A friend of mine took a part-time job in a bookstore after leaving a draining executive role. “I just needed silence,” she told me. Two years later, she launched a consulting practice rooted in mindfulness and leadership—and credits that pause for helping her reconnect to what matters.
Sometimes stepping out of the spotlight is the smartest career move you’ll ever make.
A mentor once told me, “Your job is not your identity—it’s just one of the places your brilliance gets to play.” I remember that often, especially when I’m tempted to tie my worth to how impressive my LinkedIn profile looks. Growth doesn’t always perform. Sometimes it just lives quietly inside you, waiting to bloom.
How to Build a Career That’s Rich in Meaning—Not Just Momentum
Here’s the quiet truth behind lattice careers: they often lead to more fulfilling lives, not just better careers. When you grow laterally, you gather stories, relationships, and range. You become the kind of person who can show up anywhere and find their footing. Not because you’ve mastered one path—but because you’ve walked many.
And the best part? You don’t have to start over. You start from where you are—and stretch out in new directions.
So if you’re feeling stuck, plateaued, or even just curious about what else is out there, you’re not failing. You’re probably right on track.
Smart Move: Don’t wait for someone else to offer you a promotion. Give yourself permission to explore. Lattice growth often starts with asking better questions—not getting better titles.
A Better Kind of Ambition
If 2024 taught us anything, it’s that resilience matters. Not just professionally, but personally. And resilience isn’t always built by climbing higher. Sometimes it’s built by growing wider—by creating a life that doesn’t fall apart if one title or company disappears.
That’s what the lattice mindset offers: a more human way to grow. It honors your instincts, your interests, your whole self. It says: your career can be expansive. It can surprise you. It can hold multitudes.
