Are You Playing Defense With Your Career?

A question I asked a client recently has come up in several conversations since.

That usually tells me something.

The client is a leader at a pharmaceutical company, and when we first started talking, the conversation sounded familiar to what I have been hearing from many professionals lately. We talked about uncertainty at work, shifting priorities, increasing pressure, and the growing question mark hanging over what AI may or may not mean for entire functions and careers. Even for successful people, there is a level of anxiety right now that feels different.

At one point, he said something that caught my attention.

“I feel stuck.”

That surprised me a little because, from the outside, he is doing well. He has built a strong career, earned credibility, and continues to perform at a high level. Yet underneath all of that was something he had been carrying for a while but had not really said out loud:

“I feel like I’m meant for more than this.”

Honestly, I think more people feel this way than they admit.

Over the past few weeks, I have heard versions of the same tension again and again. People questioning whether they are growing or simply maintaining. Wondering whether they are staying because they are fulfilled or because uncertainty has quietly convinced them to stay put.

The thoughts often sound familiar:

“I should just be grateful.”

“This probably is not the right time.”

“Things feel too uncertain to make a move.”

“Maybe once things settle down.”

I understand where that comes from.

Layoffs continue across industries. Teams are stretched. Entire professions are evolving in real time, while AI has many people quietly wondering what parts of their work will still matter five years from now. Even people who have kept their jobs often feel more vulnerable than they expected. And for those who lose jobs, the road back can be longer than many realize. Roughly one in four unemployed Americans has been unemployed for more than six months, which helps explain why security feels especially important right now.

Somewhere in our conversation, I paused and asked him a simple question:

“Are you playing defense or offense with your career right now?”

He stopped for a second.

Then smiled.

The kind of smile people give when something hits closer to home than they expected.

“Honestly?” he said. “Defense.”

What struck me was that he had not fully realized it.

He had slowly become reactive. Instead of asking, “What do I really want next?” his thinking had shifted toward, “How do I avoid losing what I have?”

That is an easy trap to fall into, especially right now.

When the world feels uncertain, playing defense makes sense. You keep your head down. Stay useful. Avoid unnecessary risk. Try to protect what you have built.

But at some point, protecting your career can quietly turn into postponing your future.

Playing offense with your career does not mean making reckless decisions or blowing up your life. It means being intentional. It means staying connected to what energizes you instead of only focusing on what feels safe. It means building relationships before you need them, developing skills before change forces your hand, and staying curious about what could be possible instead of assuming the current chapter is the final one.

Most importantly, it means remembering that you have more control than you think.

Your company may change. Your role may evolve. Technology may reshape parts of your profession. But you still have agency. You still have choices. You still have the ability to position yourself for where things are going instead of hoping things return to how they were.

Too many talented people wait for certainty before taking action, and certainty rarely arrives. More often, careers change because someone finally gets honest with themselves, trusts their instincts, and starts intentionally shaping what comes next.

So let me leave you with the same question I asked my client:

Are you playing defense or offense with your career right now?

If the honest answer is defense, no judgment. Many smart, successful people are there right now. Just do not stay there too long.

Because while uncertainty is real, so is possibility. And deep down, you probably already know whether you are simply protecting what you have or actively building toward what you really want.

If this struck a nerve, pay attention.

One of the things I love most about coaching is helping people move from feeling stuck or uncertain to feeling energized, clear, and back in control of their future. Sometimes the biggest shift starts with a simple conversation.

If this resonates, feel free to reach out. I’d love to hear what's on your mind.