To become a more effective leader with a holistic business view, deliberately seek experience across various interconnected functions like operations, marketing, and sales. This strategy prevents the narrow perspective that often limits specialized leaders, even if it requires taking lateral or junior roles to learn.

Instead of always chasing promotions, professionals should consider lateral moves into new companies. This allows them to build a solid grounding and learn a new environment without the pressure of a more senior role, ultimately leading to faster, more sustainable upward mobility.

David Solomon, who describes himself as an 'unlikely CEO,' advises future leaders to concentrate on acquiring a broad range of skills by taking on diverse roles. He suggests focusing on mastering the craft rather than targeting the top job allows for serendipity and a more organic path to leadership.

A zigzag career path across diverse but adjacent roles (e.g., sales, operations, project management) provides a broader, more holistic business awareness. This cross-functional experience is more valuable for senior strategic roles than a narrow, linear progression up a single ladder.

Citi CEO Jane Fraser intentionally sought struggling divisions because they offered more freedom for bold changes. When a business is in crisis, leadership is more likely to leave you alone to fix it, unlike in successful divisions where everyone offers unsolicited advice.

Laura Burkhauser's path to CEO involved a non-linear move: leaving a Director role at Twitter for an individual contributor PM job at Descript. She advises that career growth can come from taking a step back in title to work on a product you are deeply passionate about, as exceptional work gets noticed.

A linear career path is not required for success. Businesses ultimately value high performers who demonstrate an ownership mentality and consistently drive impact. Focusing on helping the business win creates opportunities to move across roles and industries, making your journey more valuable.

The path from VP to C-suite is blocked for those who remain specialists. Aspiring leaders must take calculated risks, moving into unfamiliar functions (e.g., finance controller moving to strategy) to build the generalist perspective required at the top.

Coach's CMO describes how, as a VP at Louis Vuitton, she took a lateral move to run a flagship store. While confusing to peers, this operational role provided invaluable general management experience that a traditional promotion couldn't, ultimately accelerating her career.