Empower Individual Contribution Over Management

Advancement to lead or principal roles should involve mentoring responsibilities without forcing individuals into full-time management, as many exceptional individual contributors may find managerial roles unsatisfying and outside their strengths. There's a significant number of senior professionals who prefer to focus on their individual contributions rather than managing teams; by facilitating this preference, organizations can retain highly skilled individuals who wish to advance their careers while engaging directly in impactful work. Creating an environment that supports individual contributions, like the step ladder system, can encourage talented employees to thrive in their desired roles.