HBR Guide to Your Professional Growth

CHAPTER 25

Position Yourself for a Stretch Assignment

by Claudio Fernández-Aráoz

I once hired a McKinsey consultant for a country manager role in a developing region. Two years later, despite great success, he told me he wanted to find a job at another company in his home country. I could see he was motivated, and still eager to grow, so I pushed him to instead think about what larger global roles he could perform for his current employer. He did and was soon appointed to manage the company’s entire international business from headquarters. It was a stretch assignment for him, but one in which he has thrived.

Companies everywhere, in nearly every industry, can struggle to fill their talent pipelines. As a result, many organizations—like the one ...