I was once having lunch with my former boss and we were discussing career development. He offered a lot of advice, and then he said, “People should follow their own advice.” He was really speaking to himself.

When it comes to career developments, challenges faced are essentially the same, regardless of rank . As a junior employee, if you’re frustrated about not being able to be promoted, your boss is likely struggling with the same issue, and so is their boss, perhaps even more so, because at the top of the hierarchy, they have fewer options. Take, for example, the former boss who gave me this advice. He held the title of Senior Director for a decade, and during that time, he was promoted to Executive Director, which was announced at a departmental all-hands meeting. But then the big boss left, the department was replaced, and his promotion was effectively lost. Not getting the promotion would be one thing, but losing it after it was achieved is a pain that those of us who haven’t experienced firsthand probably don’t fully understand.

I worked in this senior director’s department for over a year. Having just arrived in Silicon Valley, it was my first job in the US, and I was new to the high-tech industry. There was so much to adjust to, and the learning curve was so steep that I only realized the fear after I started. Over the next few years, my work and career progressed smoothly. But after a long period of comfort, I became a bit like the fat cat: my courage to move forward gradually waned. The upside was that I was able to calm down, gradually become an expert. The downside was that my exposure to other industries gradually decreased, missing out on opportunities for “cross-fertilization” and improvement, although I was able to make up for it by interacting with a wider range of industry professionals. It’s true for many people: Dedicated to on company for a long time, their entrepreneurial spirit gradually fades. Although they sometimes want to make a move, they talk more than they practice, and they just drag on day after day. When I give advice to others, I often suggest that they make some changes, but when it comes to myself, I find it difficult to follow my own advice. 

Let’s talk about this senior director. The more responsibilities grew, the more his workload grew, but he couldn’t get promoted to Chief Procurement Officer. First, he watched a colleague become the company’s Chief Procurement Officer, then another, and now a third. Serving under one colleague after another, I imagine he’s considered moving on, but various factors have kept him stuck. Not getting promoted isn’t a big deal: few CPOs at the company last more than two years; some are fired after just six months, and years go by without finding a new job. Perhaps he can console himself with that. But when he says people should take their own advice, I think he’s reminding himself. Just recently, I saw him, and he said he’s been in touch with some executives at other companies. He’s probably thinking about a move.

Furthermore, your former boss is often your most loyal person , if they hired you or took over mid-term and were very satisfied with your performance. Even though you no longer work for them, this doesn’t prevent them from helping you, especially with career development advice. Having worked under them, they understand your strengths and weaknesses and can often offer valuable advice. Some things you can’t discuss between superiors and subordinates can be discussed after the work relationship ends. People who have helped you in the past, not those you’ve helped, are more likely to help you again. It’s human nature to teach, and bosses are no exception. If you ask for advice from them, few will be unwilling to do so, regardless of their position.