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BY Brock Dudley
Burning of the Phoenix: The JMO renewal
The concept of The Phoenix—a mythical bird that burns itself to ashes and is reborn anew—beautifully complements the themes in my latest blog Ego is the Enemy. The burning of the phoenix and it’s rise from the ashes felt like a fitting metaphor for career transitions, especially for non-traditional candidates like the JMO. The cycle of destruction and renewal parallels the process of letting go of the past, enduring the discomfort of transformation, and emerging stronger in a new form.
With the recent themes of resilience, renewal, and rising stronger from failure on my mind, I thought this would be a great topic to build on from my last blog. The burning of the phoenix is a mythology, but I also believe it can also be a mindset. It can be seen with some of the most successful entrepreneurs, and businesspeople who had to overcome failures, reinvent themselves, thrive under pressure, create value from destruction (failure), and adopt the growth mindset and commit to continuous learning and growth.
Think about Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos. I use these three people as examples because their products touch our everyday lives. All of them have had to re-invent themselves, overcome failure, and rise anew at some point in their careers. The list of people goes on.
The applicability to the JMO
I write about this because it’s something near and dear to my heart and my vocation. Truthfully, when I made the transition, I was shocked at the level of talent in the business world.
As a former Division I collegiate athlete (Team captain), and a high performer in the Surface Warfare (Navy) community, I thought the transition was going to be a bit easier than it was. I had a hard work ethic, but I also had a bit of the mentality: “I just need to be athletic. Get myself in the game. I’ve always been a top performer, so I should be one in business”. That wasn’t totally the case. I wasn’t running circles around anyone. I was actually trying to get up to speed, to just get on the field to play and compete!
In the business of working with non-traditional, high potential talent, I am exposed every day to leading companies, their expectations and bright, young, future leaders (JMOs) in business. I often think to myself, “Wow. This person is sharp!! Great mentality. Smart. Humble. Hardworking.” Then, I think to myself, “I would’ve hired that person over me the hiring process. I am lucky Cameron-Brooks hired me.” I promise you; that’s not a lie. It’s very encouraging and fulfilling to work in this industry. The future is bright for many organizations.
I feel that I am in a position to encourage and coach JMOs on how to best reach their goals. I feel that I am in a position to use my abilities and my experience(s) to serve others, guide them, and enable JMOs to live more amply, with greater vision and a finer sense of hope and achievement in order to reach their personal and professional goals. I feel that I have a sliver of knowledge on what it takes to be successful in the transition.
So, the Burning of the Phoenix is an analogy in order to help visualize the transition. With that being said,
Past success ≠ Future success!
It’s easy to think that past success should equate to future success, a certain amount of $, or a certain sense of net worth. That’s human nature. As human beings, it’s natural to have a tendency to let the ship (your mentality) list this way. I had this when I transitioned. I think everyone has this – It’s doesn’t mean that one has an inflated ego and isn’t humble.
I just believe it’s important to recognize that when transitioning to entirely new industry, career field (switching the sport one is playing), it’s important to stay even, stay humble, adopt the growth mindset, and be realistic. This takes time, clarity, and honest self-assessment with oneself.
Naturally, this is harder for those who were experts or high performers in their previous careers. Moving into a new field, it’s easy to think past accomplishments equal current and future success. When we over-identify with past success, we cling to titles and accolades that are irrelevant in a new field and an entirely different industry.
“MP”, “EP”, “#1 of…”, “MQ”…
These are simply bullet point stratifications. They are well deserved, but they aren’t who we are, and they don’t define us. How we BUILD OFF of past achievements (or failures), along with the mentality to rebuild and reinvent oneself is most important in the transition.
Moving forward…
- Let go of the past. Burn away the old self!
- Find comfort in the uncomfortable. Embrace the Ashes: The period of discomfort and uncertainty is where transformation occurs. This is the time to learn, experiment, and grow. Find trusted advisors who will speak truth to you, and who will comfort you and empower you in the transition.
- Come back stronger. Rise with Humility. When success comes, resist the pull of ego. Focus on the success as a product of perseverance, support from those around you, and openness to change.
- Prepare for Continuous Reinvention: Just as the phoenix will burn and rise again, you too will face moments requiring reinvention throughout your career. Approach these with humility and curiosity, viewing them as opportunities rather than setbacks. Commit to lifelong growth. Time and time again.
Your career isn’t a 2 chapter book: “Military”, then “post-military”. It’s many chapters!
Conclusion: The Phoenix as a Symbol of Ego’s Defeat
The phoenix reminds us that change can be a new beginning. To thrive in a new career, one must be willing to let go of who they were, embrace the uncertainty of the transition and rise again with strength, clarity, and humility.
If you want to talk about your transition options, feel free to give me a call or shoot me a message below. We also have a wealth of resources on our website and YouTube page below. You can also give us a follow on LinkedIn.
Best of success,
Brock Dudley | (210) 874-1495
Principal, Transition Coach
