Discover where you are on the craftsman's career journey—from roughout to master—with targeted diagnostic questions and actionable steps for each stage. This guide synthesizes key insights from our Career Craft series, helping you identify your current phase and develop stage-appropriate skills. Learn how to move beyond the "perfect job" myth and avoid common career dead-ends by applying timeless principles of craftsmanship to your professional development. Whether you're defining your direction, building foundational skills, working through others, or creating lasting systems, find practical guidance for your next meaningful step.
Read moreThe Master
The master craftsman stage represents the culmination of professional development—where focus shifts from personal expertise to craft stewardship, people development, and system building. This article explores the responsibilities of modern mastery, provides frameworks for effective mentoring, outlines approaches for thoughtful craft expansion, and details strategies for building systems that outlast individual contribution. Discover how to transition from personal excellence to creating a lasting legacy that advances your discipline and develops the next generation of practitioners.
Read moreThe Journeyman
The transition from individual contributor to journeyman marks a pivotal career phase where your impact multiplies through others. This article explores three essential skills for this transition: collaboration (orchestrating collective excellence), data fluency (mastering organization, insight extraction, and communication integrity), and communication (translating between specialized domains). With practical frameworks and development strategies, learn how to transform from a solo performer to someone who creates exponential impact by working with and through others—the defining characteristic of the journeyman craftsman.
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