The Hidden Drivers Behind Your Career Choices
What Your Career Anchors Reveal About You
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of giving another webinar for the German Chamber of Commerce in Bogotá on the topic of Career Anchors and Self-Leadership. This subject resonates not only in Europe but also across Latin America—especially now, as:
• demands on leaders continue to intensify,
• the importance of self-leadership is rising, and
• we urgently need methods to develop ourselves and stay prepared for constant change.
In a world where careers are increasingly fluid and personal responsibility is essential, understanding your inner drivers becomes a cornerstone of success. This is where Career Anchors and Self-Leadership intersect.
What Are Career Anchors?
Originally developed by Edgar Schein and recently updated in Career Anchors Reimagined (Schein, van Maanen, Schein, 2023), the concept describes eight distinct types of motivation that guide career decisions. These are:
1. Technical/Functional (TF) – mastery in a specific area
2. Autonomy (Au) – freedom and independence
3. Challenge and Risk (C&R) – solving difficult problems, pushing limits
4. Entrepreneurial Creativity (EC) – building something from scratch
5. General Management (GM) – responsibility, strategy, leadership
6. Service, Dedication to a Cause (SV) – making a meaningful impact
7. Stability and Security (S&S) – predictability, continuity
8. Life-Work Integration (LW) – harmony between professional and personal life
The concept states that each of us has one or two dominant anchors—our core drivers. Knowing yours can provide clarity when choosing roles, projects, or even when shifting careers.
A word of warning: While Career Anchors can be a powerful tool for reflection, we should not see them as fixed personality traits. As Benjamin Hardy points out in Personality Isn’t Permanent, our identity is not static—it evolves with our goals, context, and conscious decisions. Use your current anchor(s) as a guide, not a label.
How Career Anchors Relate to Self-Leadership
Self-leadership means taking responsibility for your development, choices, and impact. My model, The Seven Fields of Self-Leadership, highlights areas like personal vision, self-development, and managing your own energy and networks.
Career anchors provide the motivational “why.” Self-leadership provides the strategic “how.”
For example:
• If your anchor is Entrepreneurial Creativity, then Field 6 (Projects & Products) becomes crucial.
• If your anchor is Service to a Cause, then Field 1 (Vision & Mission) and Field 7 (Added Value) gain more relevance.
Practical Advice
• Reflect on your past career decisions: What drove them?
• Identify your dominant career anchor(s)
• Align your anchor with your self-leadership strategy
• Adjust your environment and tasks where possible to match your intrinsic motivation
We may conclude: “Self-leadership without knowing your deeper drivers is like steering a ship with no compass.”
More on this topic in the upcoming podcast episode “Career Anchors and Self-Leadership” – coming soon.
