The power of pivoting: Reinvention is a strategy, not a setback

Nov 12
3 min read

By Sanita Pukite

There’s a moment in every leader’s journey when the old definition of success stops fitting. The role that once felt expansive starts to feel constricting. The strategies that once worked no longer move the needle. And a deeper question emerges - is this really it?

That question is not a sign of failure. It’s a sign you’ve outgrown the container you built. And the answer is often a pivot , not a desperate detour, but a deliberate redesign.

I know, because that question changed the course of my life.

The coffee cup that changed everything

January 2021. A cool morning. Coffee cup in hand.

I sat on my porch, my mind racing with questions I could no longer ignore:

→ What else am I capable of?

→ What impact do I want to create?

→ What example do I want to set for my daughters , not just in words, but in actions?

I had spent nearly two decades building a global corporate career - most recently as a senior leader at Johnson & Johnson. It was everything I had once wanted: responsibility, recognition, results. And yet, I felt driven but disconnected. Successful, but stuck.

That morning was the turning point. Within months, I walked away from the safety of a corporate path to build something entirely new: a leadership practice dedicated to helping high-achieving leaders reclaim their voice, presence, and influence by leading from within.

It wasn’t a leap into the unknown , it was a step into deeper meaning.

Reinvention is not starting over

We often treat reinvention as if it means erasing what came before. It doesn’t. A pivot is not starting from scratch, it’s starting from experience.

When I launched my business in my mid-40s, I wasn’t behind. I was arriving - with two decades of skills, networks, and wisdom that I didn’t have at 20. I wasn’t discarding my past; I was building on it.

I became a solopreneur. I completed my INSEAD Coaching Certificate. I climbed physical mountains that mirrored the inner ones. Some summits I reached. Others I turned back from. But each one shaped me. And that’s the real point: who we become in the process matters more than the summit itself.

I see this all the time in my coaching work. One client, a senior executive with an impressive career, came to me feeling stuck. On the surface, everything looked great — big job, strong results, plenty of recognition. But she told me she felt like a passenger in her own life.

So we slowed things down. Instead of chasing the next title or pay rise, we focused on rediscovering what truly mattered to her — the “why” behind all the work.

Bit by bit, she realised her next chapter wasn’t about climbing higher on the same ladder. It was about building something new.

She eventually created a portfolio career that combined advisory work, purpose-led projects, and mentoring future leaders. The change didn’t mean starting over — it meant moving forward with everything she’d already learned. And with that shift, both her impact and her sense of fulfilment soared.

The myths that keep us stuck

Most people don’t resist change , they resist uncertainty. And pivoting is full of it. But here’s what I’ve learned:

Walking away from something you built is not failure. It’s courage. The courage to evolve and step onto the second curve of your career.
Clarity doesn’t arrive like a lightning bolt. It’s built slowly through honest no’s, quiet pauses, and the willingness to disappoint.
Conviction doesn’t shout. It lands in the nervous system as a quiet yes, an inner anchor we can’t ignore.

And perhaps most importantly: you’re never too old to start again.

At 40, my twins turned one. At 42, I started my Executive MBA. At 45, I reinvented my career. I plan to keep working, growing, and thriving for at least another 30 years ,longer than I’ve worked so far.

Pivoting as a leadership skill

In a volatile, fast-changing world, pivoting is not a one-time act. It’s a leadership muscle. And like any muscle, it strengthens with use.

Powerful pivots share three traits:

Clarity over crisis. They’re driven by purpose, not panic.
Experimentation over perfection. They start small, learn fast, and adapt often.
Narrative over noise. They’re grounded in a story that makes others want to follow.