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March 11, 2026

5 Key Takeaways from Our Enduring Excellence Conversation with Herminia Ibarra

Herminia Ibarra shares insights on career reinvention, leadership, and learning by doing across a lifetime of research and practice.

We were honored to continue our Enduring Excellence series with Herminia Ibarra, a leading expert on career transitions, leadership development, and professional identity. Over her career, Herminia has studied thousands of leaders and professionals worldwide, helping them navigate uncertainty, reinvent themselves, and expand their impact.

In conversation with Tyler Mathisen, Herminia reflected on what it takes to lead, learn, and reinvent oneself in a complex and changing world. Drawing from her decades of research and practice, here are five key takeaways:

1. Experiment to Discover Your “Possible Self”

Herminia emphasizes that meaningful career transitions and leadership growth often begin with experimentation. Small, low-risk efforts allow you to explore new possibilities without jeopardizing everything.

“Some people plan their exits way in advance, saving money, taking classes on the side, building skills. The key is starting,” she said. By trying new roles, tasks, or leadership behaviors incrementally, you learn what energizes you and what doesn’t, turning experimentation into clarity.

2. Expand Your Network to Gain Fresh Insight

Your existing network often reinforces old patterns and assumptions. Herminia notes that meaningful growth frequently comes from talking with people who didn’t grow up with you professionally. They offer new perspectives and encourage risk-taking.

“Nearly 100% of the people making voluntary career changes had someone close to them who said, ‘You must be out of your mind,’” she said. Expanding your network helps you see possibilities that those closest to you might not.

3. Beware the Authenticity Trap

Authenticity is widely celebrated, but Herminia warns it can become a trap: equating being authentic with never stepping outside your comfort zone limits learning and growth.

“People feel that trying new behaviors means they’re being fake,” she explained. True leadership growth requires stretching into new ways of thinking, acting, and engaging while integrating, not abandoning, your core values.

4. Learn by Doing and The Power of “Outside”

Herminia distinguishes between reflective learning (“insight”) and experiential learning (“outside”). Growth comes from engaging in activities and roles you haven’t done before, learning through action, not just reflection.

She shares examples from her own career and others’, from taking sabbaticals to explore new academic environments to senior leaders investing in coaching to experiment with different leadership styles. “Once you’re doing what your future self might do, you can evaluate it,” she said.

5. Embrace Change, Longevity, and Lifelong Learning

Longer careers and technological change mean that career transitions are no longer rare, they are inevitable. Herminia stresses the importance of agility, resilience, and structured experimentation to thrive across decades.

“You’re going to make more transitions,” she said. “Nobody’s going to work at the same job from age 20 to age 70.” By combining experimentation, learning, and reflection, leaders and professionals can navigate transitions with purpose and energy.

Continuing the Conversation

Herminia Ibarra’s reflections remind us that leadership and career excellence are not fixed states, they are practices built on curiosity, experimentation, reflection, and relationship-building. Across sectors, stages, and decades, her work demonstrates how adaptability, insight, and courage sustain lasting impact.

Enduring Excellence will continue with more conversations exploring how extraordinary individuals built meaningful and enduring careers. We invite you to watch the full conversation with Hermina and join us for future sessions.

Category
Enduring Excellence

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