There’s a moment in every career when you suddenly look up and think:
“Wait… how did I end up in the back seat of my own journey?”
That was me a few years ago.
The company was bought out. My manager was reassigned. The General Manager resigned. A new board came in, a new GM stepped up, and a new departmental manager took over. And truthfully, I didn’t get along with either of them.
The shifts were sometimes subtle, always fast, constant, and completely outside my control. One day I had influence and clarity; the next, decisions were being made around me instead of with me. My voice and visibility quietly slipped into the background.
But here’s what I learnt:
When the environment shifts, your awareness must shift too.
Change doesn’t always show up loudly. Sometimes it’s a tone, an exclusion from a meeting, or a structural change no one explains. When you notice the early signs, you get to choose whether to re-engage, reposition, or prepare to move.
Not everyone who steps in will understand your value.
New leaders arrive with their own priorities and people. If you rely on them to define your worth, you’ll be tossed around by every transition. You must know your value clearly and confidently.
Misalignment isn’t failure. It’s information.
Not connecting with the new manager or GM wasn’t a weakness it was a signal. A sign that the culture and direction were shifting away from who I was and how I delivered impact.
When someone else is driving your car, you only have two choices:
a. Ask for the wheel back.
Through clarity, communication, and repositioning.
It’s not instant, not easy, and yes, sometimes scary.
It means tough conversations, resetting boundaries, rebuilding visibility, and proving your value to leaders who may not yet see it. Sometimes you must rebuild your confidence before you can rebuild your influence.
b. Step out and choose a new vehicle.
And no, that’s not impulsive.
It may look like finishing a degree, retraining, gaining new qualifications, or preparing for a new industry or role.
You’re not abandoning the journey you’re upgrading your transportation. You’re choosing alignment, growth, and a future that reflects who you’re becoming.
The Turning Point
The day I realized I was no longer steering my own journey was the day I made a decision:
I refuse to be a passenger in my own career.
That awareness changed everything how I showed up, the opportunities I pursued, the boundaries I set, and ultimately, the direction my career took.
Sometimes the most empowering moment is recognizing that you’ve surrendered control. Because once you see it, you can take it back.
Has this ever happened to you? Did you take the wheel back or step out and choose a new vehicle?
Image credit: Google Images
