Let’s say you are really making your mark in, say, human resources. You become a manager. Then a director! Then vice president! Are you on your way to being the next SVP, EVP, C-Suite leader or CEO?

Probably not.

If all of your experience is in one area, you are likely lacking in others that will make you a far more attractive candidate for advancement.

So if you are climbing the ladder to the top, you may want to try seeing your career as a highway with onramps and off-ramps. Or maybe a lattice with vines that twist and turn as they climb higher.  It’s not about climbing straight up as fast as possible. Many success stories are born out of courageous career decisions that involved lateral moves or self-demotions that were deliberate maneuvers to gain experience.

For example, if you are a superstar in finance but need operational experience to run your company, my may well need to do the unthinkable: trade your impressive title for a an unimpressive title so you can get what you need in your skills arsenal.

That may make you uncomfortable, but you have to dare to try something you know nothing about, confidently knowing that you will eventually learn what you need to learn. What is your ultimate goal? What skills will you need to achieve it? What are your deficiencies? Can you get an opportunity to turn that deficiency into a strength?

You don’t have to know everything, but it is not enough to be an absolute expert in one thing. The people who courageously take risks that give them expertise in their deficiencies are the ones that get the top positions. That sometimes means spending time learning things that are not your cup of tea. You don’t have to drink that tea for the rest of your career, but you need to know about it, then move on to another cup of tea.