What Got You Here, Won't Get You There

 

🎙️ Hope and Possibilities with Nola Simon
🗓️ Episode Title: What Got You Here, Won't Get You There
🧭 Length: ~20 minutes
🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

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✨ Episode Summary (from me, Nola):

In this episode, I reflect on a concept that’s been showing up in a lot of places in my life and work lately:
“What got you here won’t get you there.”

It’s a phrase I learned from Marshall Goldsmith, and it’s one that keeps offering new layers of meaning the more I sit with it.

I talk about how this idea plays out in leadership — especially the shift from being an individual contributor to stepping into management or executive roles. I use parenting as a metaphor (because let’s be honest, parenting and leadership have a lot in common), and I even dive into a pop culture example that might surprise you: Liam Payne from One Direction — and how his career arc illustrates what happens when our playbook doesn’t evolve with us.

I also get personal about my own journey. I started my consulting business from a place of deep necessity — as a working mother trying to be more present for my daughters. But now that my girls are 18 and 20 and no longer at home, I’m finding myself in a new season. I’m reevaluating what work looks like for me now, and what I want to model going forward.

I invite you to reflect alongside me:
🌀 What’s no longer working for you?
🌀 What do you need to let go of — even if it brought you success in the past?

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💡 What I Talk About in This Episode:

• The theory of “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” and why it matters

• How leadership changes the skill sets that matter

• Why parenting is a powerful metaphor for management

• What Liam Payne’s career taught me about reinvention

• The evolution of hybrid/remote work and how mandates affect trust

• Why I’m reconsidering my focus — and what I might do next

• The impact of AI, demographic shifts, and generational change on work

• Why clarity often comes after you take the next step

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🗣️ A Few Things I Said That Might Stick With You:

“The goal of a parent is to raise adults. So if you've raised adults, you've achieved your goal.”

“You’re not in control — but you are responsible. That’s leadership. That’s parenting. That’s life.”

“Sometimes what made you successful also makes you stuck.”

“It’s not that your past success isn’t valuable — it’s just not enough to carry you forward.”

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💬 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

I’d love to hear your take.
🌿 What playbooks might be holding you back?
🌿 What do you think you’ll need to drop or rethink to grow into your next chapter?

Send me a message, tag me online, or email your thoughts.
Let's connect.

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🙏 Thanks for Listening

If this episode spoke to you, please consider sharing it with someone else who’s in a season of change.
And if you’re enjoying the podcast, I’d love it if you’d follow, rate, or leave a review — it helps more than you know.

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