The traditional concept of career progression as a steady climb up a ladder is increasingly being questioned as workplaces and job expectations evolve. Professor Lynda Gratton, co-director of the SARI Foundation Institute for Work, Careers and Longevity at London Business School, argues that this linear model no longer reflects the reality many workers face today.

For decades, careers have been visualized as an upward trajectory, with each rung on the ladder representing a promotion, higher status, or increased salary. However, as organizational structures and job roles change, many individuals find the next rung missing or the path unclear. A recent survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development highlights this uncertainty among UK workers, with just 36 percent of over 5,000 respondents agreeing that their jobs offer good prospects for advancement, while 37 percent disagreed.

Gratton suggests that limiting career progress to upward movement overlooks other forms of development. People frequently deepen their expertise, broaden their responsibilities, or pivot into different lines of work—moves that may not fit the traditional ladder model but can still represent genuine growth. To better capture these diverse experiences, she proposes viewing career development as a "weave" rather than a ladder.

In this analogy, a career is formed by interwoven threads representing productivity and nurture. At any given time, some threads may be robust while others are fragile, contributing to a unique pattern that evolves over the course of a person’s working life. Progress, then, involves strengthening different threads by acquiring new skills, investing in meaningful relationships, or ensuring time for learning and recovery.

This perspective also places greater emphasis on personal agency. Unlike climbing a ladder, which can be automatic and driven by external expectations, weaving a career requires deliberate choices and ongoing reflection. Gratton emphasizes the importance of pausing periodically to assess the current pattern and decide where to focus attention next. She notes that without such reflection, people may continue on a path until external factors force change.

Despite its significance, finding time for reflection remains a challenge for many professionals. Gratton recounts experiences from a programme with mid and senior-level workers, where participants often reported feeling too busy to step back and consider their situation. Yet when they did, they uncovered opportunities for change that had previously been overlooked.

The SARI Foundation Institute for Work, Careers and Longevity, which Gratton co-directs alongside Herminia Ibarra, is conducting research into how longer working lives affect careers and organizations. The institute aims to inform individual decision-making, organizational policies, and public frameworks to better support workers navigating these complexities.

In the coming months, Gratton plans to lead a 12-week programme encouraging professionals to reflect on their career “threads,” helping them identify practical steps to strengthen their overall working life. She advises workers to begin by examining what sustains their careers, including the nature of their work, skill development, key relationships, and time for rest and learning, then consider where attention is needed to foster resilience and progress.