Step 4.6: Mind The Gap
“The Gap” in this case isn’t an apparel retailer, but the difference between where you are and where you want to be.
Let's talk about career delusions. Not the small ones – the massive psychological canyons between where you are and where you think you should be.
I often find that there’s a significant gap between where people are and where they see their Next Level - which is OK, as long as you can be honest with yourself, acknowledge this, and realize that you will need to bridge this gap with a role or two to get there.
The market is brutally efficient at pricing your real value. And it doesn't care about your LinkedIn job title or your self-image.
Think you can jump from Big Tech to leading a startup because you "get entrepreneurship"? The market says otherwise. Your experience running marketing for a Fortune 500 company is worth about as much as a BlackBerry stock certificate to a Series A startup. They don't need your 47-slide presentation skills. They need someone who's been part of a team that’s taken a company to an exit. That’s the coin of the realm.
Or maybe you're a Marketing Director eyeing that Chief Marketing Officer role. Seems logical, right? Except you've never managed a P&L, never built a global team, never survived a market crash. The gap between Director and C-suite isn't just a few rungs on the ladder – it's a different game entirely.
Here's the truth about career gaps: They're normal. They're necessary. But they require bridges, not leaps.
The “Bridge Strategy”:
For the startup enthusiast - instead of trying to jump straight to Chief Growth Officer at a startup, bridge through a high-growth division of a midsize company. Learn the scrappy playbook without the existential pressure.
For the aspiring CMO? Find a role running marketing for a specific business unit. Get that P&L experience. Build that global team. Create your proof points.
The market rewards those who respect the gap enough to bridge it strategically.
Remember: Your next move doesn't have to be your final destination. It just needs to get you closer to it. Because the gap isn't your enemy - career delusion is.
Your Playbook:
Map the actual distance between your current reality and your goal.
Be honest with yourself - how many steps will you need to get there?
Start building your bridge.