Counsel tempered by years of experience is not opinion; it is evidence earned, proven and worth your following

When a person is “retired,” there is a lot more time to scroll LinkedIn. Noticeably, posts from former senior colleagues are nearly non-existent. Periodically, you’ll see a reply in the category of “not quite so” to a well-intentioned piece of youngish or mid-career advice. But as a rule, guidance from seasoned professionals — those with both time and perspective — is rare.

I’ve noticed that in news reports, networks regularly invite commentators from my generation to weigh in on international affairs, recently Iran, and Middle East tensions, as examples. Yet on LinkedIn, there is little appetite for seasoned, graying professionals to offer their perspective on work-related issues. That seems odd. Many of us have no fewer than sixty years of work experience — from the most junior roles to the most senior. Why is there so little interest in tapping that repository of knowledge?

I have decided to offer it anyway — without invitation — in the hope that someone might find it useful, informative, or even reassuring.

Today’s topic: The Pivot.

Yes, believe it or not, there is a generation of senior professionals who have pivoted — often more than once. Those pivots were sometimes driven by personal circumstances, family constraints, or employer decisions.

The most important advice: recognize that the person you wanted to become may not be confined by your present circumstances — even if you once believed that where you were was where you were meant to remain.

As George Eliot wrote, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

Pivoting is hard. But it is often necessary. Focus on your own journey and how you want it to look when viewed through the rear-view mirror years from now. There may be political forces at play. There may be injustice. But progress is anchored in resolve, not blame. How you arrived here matters less than how you move forward.

A “new” start may require learning new skills. It may place you in a setting where your expertise feels diminished. View that not as regression, but as expansion — diversification of skills, strengthening of adaptability, adding depth to your CV,–all growth indicators.

If you were once excellent at what you did, that excellence has not vanished. It is part of who you are. A temporary setback in title, role, compensation, or responsibility is just that — temporary. The real disappointment often lies in the gap between where you are and where you expected yourself to be. That is a timing issue — not a verdict on your capability.

So have confidence. Get back on the horse. The person who succeeded before has not disappeared. That person will emerge again as you acclimate to a new landscape.

This is not Pollyanna optimism. It is not a recycled 1950s storyline. It is the perspective of more than sixty years spanning roles from the most modest to the most elevated. It is real and it is advice worth adopting. Yes, it is hard, but not impossibly hard. The most rewarding paths are seldom easy.

As Einstein observed, “The only source of knowledge is experience.” This too shall pass. Make this your new pivot mantra: Assess. Reset. Move. Don’t take it on faith–take it on evidence. Experience shows this works.