EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
MENA MIGALLY , REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT – EMERGING EMEA , RIVERBED
While I have been very fortunate in my career , there was a clear low point which fundamentally shaped both its trajectory , as well as my personal growth and self-confidence . As is most often the case , this was the result of significant change , which while I had proactively pursued , I had most certainly underestimated .
After finding success over nearly a decade at a large , multi-national , multi-faceted IT corporation , I decided to take the ‘ plunge ’ into an exciting venture . Though this was of a smaller scale , it offered great promise . The decision to willingly leave my comfort zone was difficult , especially as I had been advised against it by many . But I felt convinced it was the right move at the right time
– I had extensive experience in the technology I was selling , deep knowledge and experience in operational excellence and had built strong personal and professional values .
Filled with naïve enthusiasm , I decided to trust my instincts . My excitement was soon tempered by a harsh reality check , as I quickly realised I needed to adapt not only to a new company with a different product set , but a fundamentally different scale of operations . This meant a higher degree of uncertainty in every avenue – be it dealing with customers , partners or even colleagues . The realisation that the ‘ sale ’ was not going to come easily and required infinitely more ‘ smart effort ’ quickly dawned on me and made me question my decision to leave my comfort zone . Falling back on past expertise , I tried everything I learned from my previous company . And while the effort was there , the results were slow and not up to my expectations . Thoroughly demotivated – and based on advice to ‘ jump ship ’ back to familiar territory – I contemplated making a move . before I closed that chapter . This ultimatum challenged me to think differently , and I subsequently pursued closure on a large and complex deal that I made known to a colleague . Having him in my corner meant he soon became my champion inside the company . This deal opened the eyes of everyone to the potential at hand – but more importantly to me personally , when I closed it , I proved my abilities and resilience , which gave me the confidence to move on in my career with a greater sense of self-worth .
Perhaps the most defining moment in all this was my decision to make myself vulnerable in transparently discussing my plans with my champion ( who now , even nine years on , remains my mentor , manager and friend ). He quickly moved in the background to finally offer me a job reporting to him , which I gladly accepted . This changed the trajectory of my career , allowing me to thrive and grow .
THE DECISION TO WILLINGLY LEAVE MY COMFORT ZONE WAS DIFFICULT , ESPECIALLY AS I HAD BEEN ADVISED AGAINST IT BY MANY .
While the easy path out was certainly alluring , I woke up one day deciding not to give up . I had to prove to myself that I could in fact succeed
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