How to become CEO of your own career

Andrea Dermody outlines a practical framework for career success and urges professionals to think like CEOs, prioritising intention, direction and accountability

A hand is pictured arranging simple wooden blocks to depict steps leading upwards to an image of a bullseye.

When I went to college five hundred million years ago (okay, maybe not that long ago), I studied economics. Most of it didn’t stick, but there are a couple of concepts that stayed with me and that I still use in my work and in how I structure the work I choose to do.

One of them is the idea of supply and demand. This is also how I think about changing the makeup of our workforce to better reflect the society we live in.

I speak a lot about the demand side: what organisations can do to create more open, inclusive and equitable workplaces where diverse talent can thrive.

What I don’t talk about as much is the supply side: how individuals from underrepresented groups can navigate their careers.

These conversations can easily veer into “let’s fix the women (or the neurodivergent, or people of colour, or anyone not in the dominant group)!”—and I never want to suggest the burden of change lies with individuals alone.

However, while organisations need to change, individuals also need access to the “secrets to success”.  And if you’re not in the “in-group”, those secrets often aren’t shared. No one gives you the rules to join what we would have traditionally called the “old boys club”.

CEO of your career

No one will ever care as much about your career as you do. This is why it’s essential to think of yourself as the CEO of your own professional journey.

A CEO doesn’t wait for opportunities to appear or hope for success. They lead with intention, direction and accountability.

By treating your career like a business, you give yourself the power to make strategic decisions that serve your best interests and future aspirations.

Strategy: Navigating your path

Every successful business starts with a clear mission, vision and set of goals. Your career should be no different.

Ask yourself: “Where am I now? Where do I want to be?” Mapping the gap between your present situation and your future ambitions creates clarity and focus.

Don’t be afraid to think big; limiting yourself early will only narrow your potential. Tools such as a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) and structured career-planning frameworks can help you see both the possibilities and the challenges ahead, giving you a roadmap to follow.

Execution: making it happen

Strategy without execution is just a wish. To bring your career vision to life, create a development plan spanning the next 12–18 months.

A practical way to structure this is through the 70:20:10 learning model. Invest 10 percent of your time in formal learning, whether that’s courses, TED Talks or books.

Dedicate 20 percent to learning from others by building relationships with mentors, sponsors, role models or managers.

Don’t forget that most learning (70 percent) comes from experience: taking on stretch assignments, embracing new responsibilities and even volunteering. These hands-on opportunities allow you to grow, adapt and prove yourself in real-world contexts.

By approaching your career like a CEO—setting the vision, crafting the strategy and executing with discipline—you put yourself in charge of your own success story.

Six tips to being your own CEO

There are a few steps you can take along your journey that will help you achieve your goals:

  1. Get real feedback: Ask for specific, constructive input. For example, “What’s one thing I could do better?” is a great place to start. Specificity is key!
  2. Feel overwhelmed? Keep the dream big, and the steps small and consistent.
  3. Understand your personal brand: How are you perceived? What do you want to be known for? Do they align?
  4. Be strategic about mentors: Choose mentors who help build your knowledge, network and visibility.
  5. Know what self-efficacy is: This is your belief in your ability to succeed, and it grows through experience, making it a more tangible concept than trying to build confidence.
  6. Align your time with your strategy: Ensure that your daily actions align with your long-term goals.

These steps might seem obvious to you if you’ve had great managers, a strong network or grown up with professional role models. But if you haven’t—if no one told you that hard work alone isn’t enough—they can be game-changing.

Andrea Dermody is the founder of Dermody Inclusion and Diversity