Two years in Joburg (Part 3): Pursuing Experience, Impact and Earnings

As I conclude the three-part series of my reflections about my journey of moving to Johannesburg two years ago, I'd like to firstly thank all of you for reading, sharing and engaging on the first two parts of the series. Over 1,000 people have read the posts and I've enjoyed reading through the comments and extending the conversation beyond the blog. If you missed the first two posts, find them here (part 1 and part 2).

In my first post, I shared that the move to Joburg was because of a desire to grow in experience, impact and earnings having achieved a lot of my earlier career goals. In this final post, I want to delve deeper in this and share my reflections of how I've grown in the past two years in my perspective about these three ideas.

Experience

I've now been working for a little over 14 years in the totality of my career. Mine has been an unconventional career that may seem strange and haphazard to those more inclined to a more traditional way of career progression. However, my career decisions since the day I left audit have been intentional and well thought-out. My decisions have been influenced by the belief that as we progress in our careers, we are busy filling our Leadership Toolbox with skills, knowledge and competencies to capacitate ourselves to be problem-solvers and change-makers. So my goal has never been to climb the proverbial ladder but to curate my own learning experiences so that I can be an effective leader - in any role and in any industry. Taking on my current role was so that I can add digital leadership (strategy and execution) in my toolbox - in a bid to disrupt myself before technology disrupts me and leaves me irrelevant.

"If you disrupt yourself, you will be able to manage and even thrive through disruption" - Whitney Johnson, Author

As I reflect on the past two years, I have the following lessons to share about my journey of gaining more experience:

• Say NO to the comfort zone: Taking career risks is much harder than settling in a comfort zone of knowing what to expect, however it is much more rewarding and provides much bigger opportunities for growth and development. I've decided that I refuse to settle for experiences that do not provide opportunities for me to challenge my ideas about what my limitations are. Even psychology recognises personal growth and self-actualisation as key for happiness and satisfaction.

• Leverage on existing skills: A lot of us are afraid to put our hands up for experiences we are unfamiliar with because we fail to value the skills and competencies that we have accumulated from our previous experiences. I've learned that while a role or an environment may feel unfamiliar, I can always reach into my Leadership Toolbox to apply previous knowledge and skills to achieve results. This means that as a professional it is important to take stock of and be able to articulate what I bring to the table.

• What got you here, may not be enough to take you to the next level: This is a lesson in embracing that as we grow in our careers, there will be a need to learn other skills that may not be taught in the classroom in order to get to the next level. Being able to self-advocate, navigating workplace and boardroom politics, achieving visibility of your work and many other skills that are not taught in MBA are additional skills that we need to learn because our brilliance alone is not enough in the corporate jungle.

• Embrace being a beginner: One of the things I find most uncomfortable is embracing being a beginner - having to ask questions that some people may think are basic and "silly" in order to learn in a new role or experience. However, there is no growth without asking "stupid" questions and having people sneer at you or wonder "how did she get this far without knowing this?". Growth requires having the confidence and audacity to seem foolish.

"Embarrassment is the cost of entry. If you aren't willing to look like a foolish beginner, you'll never be a graceful master" Ed Latimore.

Impact

When I joined the Association of the Advancement of Black Accountants in Southern Africa (ABASA) as a trainee accountant, I learned an important lesson: our careers should help others, not just ourselves. With a job and a good qualification comes the responsibility to help break down barriers for those who come after us. This idea has become a key part of my values and how I see myself as a leader.

In my first ten years of work, I took a simple approach to making a difference: I volunteered for every opportunity I could handle. This was the right strategy for that time in my career. It helped me learn more about myself and develop important leadership skills. I got involved in different organizations and started initiatives like Keep Lesotho Clean and the Inspire Mentorship Program.

After moving to Johannesburg, I felt it was time to change my approach. Instead of trying to do many things, I wanted to focus on creating meaningful impact. This change fits where I am in my career now, and for the past two years, I've been figuring out what that looks like for me. I don’t have all the answers yet, but I do have some thoughts to share:

• Impact leads to job satisfaction. Research shows that people are happier at work when they feel a sense of purpose. I’ve noticed that when I look for ways to make a meaningful contribution, my job satisfaction increases.

• Meaning can be found in our daily work. We often miss the chance to find significance in our everyday tasks. By changing how we view our work, we can discover deeper connections to what we do.

• Looking outside our jobs can enhance our experience. While we can find meaning in our work, seeking inspiration outside of it can give us new ideas and refresh our professional lives.

Earnings

Before I became a mother, my focus on earnings—whether as an employed professional or an entrepreneur—was minimal. To me, Experience and Impact held far greater significance than mere Earnings. However, the moment I became a mother, everything shifted. Having lost my parents at a young age, I felt an overwhelming urgency to establish a financial safety net for my son, ensuring he could live comfortably should anything happen to me. This served as a profound wake-up call, prompting me to truly value myself and seek adequate compensation for the contributions I make. This pivotal realization guided my transition from entrepreneurship back into the corporate world and later formed part of what prompted my move to Joburg. In the past two years here, I have gained invaluable insights into how the investments we make in ourselves as professionals directly influence our earnings. I've come to understand that no matter how much we invest in our skills and the results we produce, our ability to articulate our value plays a crucial role in determining our compensation. A friend recently shared a story about professionals who conduct annual market research to discover how much others in their field are earning. This allows them to benchmark their own salaries and negotiate pay raises within their organizations, as well as inform their career decisions. In contrast, I have encountered accomplished professionals who feel lost when it comes to initiating discussions about remuneration with their leaders. This is simply unacceptable! The significant shift in my mindset has been the realization that our skills are our greatest asset, and we must approach the business of trading on that asset with the same diligence we apply to the businesses we lead and manage. Organizations that recognize our skills and expertise are willing to compensate us accordingly, and leaders who genuinely value their employees are open to engaging in these critical conversations.

Reflective Questions

As I wrap up this post and the #twoyearsinJoburg series, I'd like to leave you with some questions for reflection as you think about your own pursuit of experience, impact, and earnings.

• What skills do you have in your toolbox? Are you comfortable that the skills you have and are on track to gain will set you up for success based on the goals you have for yourself as well as in the Future World of Work? In what ways can you challenge yourself to pursue experiences outside of your comfort zone?

• Considering the lessons learned from your career journey, how can you actively contribute to breaking down barriers for others in your field while also seeking meaningful impact in your work?

• How has your personal journey influenced your perception of worth and the importance of advocating for fair compensation in your professional life? What are your beliefs about your value and how it's linked to your earnings?

Likeleli M.