This Is Not The Career I Ordered™ Blog
Savvy Professional Career Wisdom by Caroline Dowd-Higgins
This is Not the Career I Ordered is read by thousands of careerists around the globe. With savvy tools, inspiration, and resources, this timeless book empowers you to enjoy your career, and love your life!
Raising Your Ceiling Starts with Leveling Your Floor: The Reality of Sustainable Leadership
Sustainable leadership is not a luxury; it is a performance requirement for the modern executive. In an era of constant transformation and market volatility, many leaders are operating on fumes, attempting to build massive strategic “ceilings” on foundations of crumbling sand. With burnout rates reaching critical levels, especially among women in senior leadership, it’s time […]
AI Isn’t a Shortcut to Engagement: What the 2026 Gallup Data Really Means for Leaders
With employee engagement stalled at a stagnant 31%, your organization cannot afford to treat AI as a magic wand for productivity. Despite the rapid acceleration of AI adoption in the first half of 2026, the topline engagement numbers haven’t budged. In fact, 18% of U.S. employees are actively disengaged, a detachment that is costing the […]
The High-Performance Paradox: Why Women Lead in Engagement, and Burnout
With burnout on the rise and the talent landscape shifting beneath our feet, it is crucial to address a growing contradiction in the modern workplace: women are more engaged than ever, yet they are also the most exhausted. According to the latest Gallup Q4 2025 data, women’s workplace engagement stands at 34%, significantly outpacing their […]
Unshakeable Confidence: Silence Your Inner Critic and Own the Room
Perhaps you know the feeling. You’re standing outside a glass-walled conference room, or perhaps you’re about to unmute yourself on a high-stakes Zoom call. Your palms are slightly damp, your heart is doing a rhythmic tap dance against your ribs, and that pesky little voice in the back of your head is whispering, no, shouting: […]
The Resilience Revolution: Why Women are Redefining Success Beyond the Hustle
The era of the Girlboss hustle is officially over. For decades, women were told that the key to breaking the glass ceiling was simply to work harder, stay later, and say “yes” to every opportunity that crossed their desks. We were sold a version of success that required us to be masters of the universe […]
Beyond the Hustle: How Women Nurture Themselves While Scaling the Ladder
Here’s the truth bomb nobody wants to say out loud, 76% of professional women report experiencing burnout, and that number is up 12% from pre-pandemic levels. We’re not just tired – we’re running on fumes while pretending the tank is full. But here’s where it gets interesting. The most successful women leaders aren’t just crushing […]
Stop Wasting Time on Wellness Programs: Build a Wellbeing Ecosystem That Drives ROI
Let me guess – your company rolled out a wellness program. Maybe you got yoga classes, a meditation app subscription, or those standing desks everyone requested. And yet… burnout is still through the roof, turnover is climbing, and your team looks about as energized as a smartphone at 2% battery. Here’s the truth bomb: “You […]
The Essential Gift of Self Love
It’s the time of year for cards with red hearts, chocolates, and flowers as Valentine’s Day is celebrated in February. It causes anxiety for some who are seeking affection, and bliss for others who are celebrating their love with someone special. This Valentine’s Day I encourage you to see it through a different lens. Celebrate […]
The Power of the Pause: Why a Sabbatical Might Be Your Best Career Move Yet
We’ve all heard the mantras: Keep grinding. Push through. Success requires sacrifice. But here’s the truth nobody wants to admit – sometimes the most powerful career move you can make is to stop. I’m talking about a real pause. A sabbatical. A leave of absence. Time away from the hamster wheel to actually breathe, think, […]
10 Ways to Nurture Yourself at Work Without Feeling Guilty
Let’s get one thing straight: taking care of yourself at work isn’t selfish, it’s self-preservation. With burnout rates climbing and workplace stress becoming the norm rather than the exception, nurturing yourself during the workday isn’t just nice to have. It’s non-negotiable. Yet many feel guilty every time we step away from our desks for five […]
Stop Burning Out Your Best People: 5 Ways to Nurture Yourself (and Your Team) Without Reducing Workload
With burnout on the rise, it’s crucial to act now. Seventy-six percent of employees experience workplace burnout, and the cost of an employee leaving is usually equivalent to one year of their annual salary. You can’t afford to treat a severe injury with a Band-Aid. Throwing more time off at the problem doesn’t work (most […]
How RADICAL CONFIDENCE Can Empower You in 2026
The word “radical” has become a part of the world-of-work lexicon to mean something that is new, beyond the norm, and extraordinary. Perhaps you have heard about Radical Candor or Radical Transparency as workplace concepts meant to provide an environment for developmental growth and building trust. I’m introducing the idea of Radical Confidence to empower […]
Make People Feel at Ease in 30 Seconds: A Guide to Psychological Safety
With burnout rising and only 23% of employees engaged globally (Gallup), you can’t leave psychological safety to chance. Google’s Project Aristotle identifies it as the single biggest driver of team effectiveness, and 70% of high-performing teams share it. The upside? You can change the social temperature of a room in 30 seconds. Psychological safety isn’t […]
How to Support Your Overstressed Team
With burnout on the rise, it’s crucial for leaders to step up their support for employees. Burnout isn’t a new phenomenon; it’s been long-standing, especially with current political and economic uncertainties coupled with anxiety about AI’s impact on jobs. A Gallagher report reveals that two-thirds of leaders express concern over stress and burnout in their […]
