Redefining Impact in a Shifting Career Landscape

I recently started coaching a woman who was leading impactful work outside the US with USAID. Like so many other federal workers, she finds herself now navigating an unexpected career roadblock when the administration hacked services and funding. A year ago, opportunities seemed to find her. Now, USAID is totally shut down, the landscape looks completely different, devastating. The options she once relied on no longer exist.

This is the reality so many professionals face right now. Our work systems are shifting, and the path that got us here won’t be the path that moves us forward. 

Now is a defining moment to dive deeper.

Adversity-activated development explains how, when faced with a stressful situation–from events like career shocks, midlife changes, and climate crisis events–there are opportunities to discover a deeper sense of ourselves, the meaning of our own lives, and what we’re here to do. It’s about the potential to grow strengths and capacities through and after an experience. 

This isn’t about ‘looking on the bright side’ or any type of staying positive. The shifting landscapes and toxic work environments are awful, no doubt. AND the external career shocks do not reflect on your worthiness, skills, or capabilities. 

If so, how do you adapt with intention through career shocks rather than just react to circumstances or wait and see, hoping for the best? 

Here are the top components I see as guiding us through these adversity-activated moments:

Stability Comes from Expansion: Holding the Both/And Mindset

Career transitions are never just about “what’s next?” but are also about who you are becoming. You need to hold the balance of short-term stability with long-term expansion. It’s finding the next paycheck, and intentionally positioning yourself for work that aligns with your values and impact in way more creative ways than ever before, as we watch systems and structures crash and new ones form.

Career Grief Reclaims Your Confidence

With all these funding and institutional hacks, I hear many folks feeling personally shaken in their sense of self-worth and confidence to rebuild. The bad-faith questioning of the work folks have been doing, especially when you’ve been focused on impactful projects that have been labeled DEI and are told they can’t exist now. You may feel unmoored, understandably. Career grief is real. And yet, it holds an invitation to process what was, name what you want, and rebuild on your own terms. When we acknowledge this grief, we make space for clarity and renewal. Career grief is real, even if it’s not widely recognized. You don’t have to “move on” immediately. Grief invites you to move together.

Your Work is Bigger Than a Job Title

Your career is not just a series of roles. It's about the impact you’re here to create. In coaching, I help clients reframe their expertise, articulate their core strengths, and move beyond job titles. Instead of asking “What job should I do?” we shift to “What work am I here to do?” Check out my recent linear-to-spiral job reframing practices for help on making this mindset shift. 

Adapting to a Changing Landscape with Embodied Action

The structures and systems we worked within are shifting fast. We can’t rely on the same strategies that got us here. Instead, we need creativity, adaptability, and a willingness to expand beyond old paths. This moment calls for impact-driven, regenerative approaches to career building.

Wherever you are in your own career evolution, remember that your impact is needed. But the way forward isn’t about chasing what was. It’s about creating something new.

I suspect these will be conversations for all of us as we navigate these changing landscapes together. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share some insights and activities that you can do yourself or share with others to help them through these times.