Contents
Disclaimer
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute professional career counseling. Corporate structures vary, and lateral moves can carry risks regarding salary bands and seniority. Readers should discuss specific internal mobility policies with their HR department.
If you visualize your career, you probably see a ladder. It is the default metaphor we have used for a century. You start at the bottom, look at the rear end of the person above you, and wait for them to move so you can take their spot.
The ladder model has a fatal flaw: there is only one way to the top. If the person above you doesn’t leave, or if the ladder breaks (your department is downsized), you are stuck. You have nowhere to go but down.
Sheryl Sandberg famously popularized a different metaphor, originally coined by Fortune editor Pattie Sellers: The Jungle Gym.
Unlike a ladder, a jungle gym offers multiple paths. You can move up, but you can also move sideways, diagonally, or even down to get to a better vantage point. In 2025, adhering to the ladder mentality is a recipe for fragility. The professionals who win in the long run aren’t the ones who shot straight up a single silo; they are the ones who swung across the entire structure to build a holistic view of the business.
The Trap of the Vertical Silo
Consider the “perfect” ladder climber. They start in Sales. They become a Sales Manager. Then a Sales Director. Then the VP of Sales.
They are an expert in selling, but they are often functionally illiterate in the rest of the business. They don’t understand why Engineering can’t just “build the feature faster,” and they don’t get why Finance is blocking their travel budget. This lack of context creates friction. When they finally reach the C-Suite, they struggle because they are still thinking like a salesperson, not like an executive.
The Power of Strategic Empathy
The primary benefit of the lateral move—swinging from one bar of the gym to another—is Strategic Empathy.
Imagine a Product Manager who takes a “sideways” move into Customer Support for a year. On paper, this might look like a stall in momentum. In reality, it is a masterclass. That PM returns to the product team with a visceral, first-hand understanding of the exact pain points customers are screaming about. They no longer need to guess what to build; they know, because they spent a year answering the phones.
This cross-pollination makes you a “translator.” You become the rare individual who can speak the language of the engineers and the language of the marketers. In a world of siloed departments, the translator is the most valuable person in the room.
The Path to the C-Suite
If your ambition is to reach the highest levels of leadership, the jungle gym is almost mandatory.
Modern CEOs are rarely the best coder or the best accountant in the building. They are generalists. They need to understand how the P&L interacts with the supply chain. A resume that shows a straight vertical line suggests deep, narrow expertise. A resume that shows lateral moves across different functions suggests adaptability and systemic thinking.
Moving sideways proves you are not just chasing a title; you are chasing understanding.
How to Pitch the Lateral Move
The hardest part of this strategy is the ego hit. Moving sideways often means keeping the same title or salary for a year or two longer than you planned. It also requires explaining your logic to a boss who might be confused why you want to leave a “safe” path.
When pitching this, frame it as asset acquisition:
“I want to be a future leader at this company. To do that effectively, I need to understand how our operations team works, not just how our sales team works. I’m willing to step sideways to gain that operational fluency so I can be a more effective leader later.”
The ladder limits your view to the wall in front of you. The jungle gym gives you a view of the entire playground. Don’t be afraid to let go of the rung above you to grab the one next to you.
