Find yourself in tech – then find yourself again

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This week we’re quoting Margarete Schramboek (Board Member at Aramco Digital; Former Minister of Economy and Digital, Austria)

What Schramboek said:

“Renewing yourself is key in such a fast-changing world, walking through the doors that life is generously opening for you.”

Tech changes fast. And so do tech people. 

It’s a valuable perspective for all tech professionals to consider. The tech industry does most fast (and that pace of change is picking up all the time). So when you dedicate yourself to a career in this space, you’ve got to be willing to change too. 

We don’t think there’s one single mindset that makes someone excel in tech. But we do see these qualities, again and again, in the high-level tech professionals we meet at LEAP: 

• Curiosity – the kind that never goes away, and drives constant learning and development (both professional and personal).
• Resilience – tech people don’t give up when they get knocked down. They dust themselves off, absorb the lessons learned, and keep going.
• Collaboration – and an understanding that collaboration isn’t just a transactional thing you do to get your projects done. It’s a way to learn from others and expand your understanding; and it helps you grow.

And curiosity, resilience and collaboration all create the conditions for adaptability. You’re an explorer who won’t give up on your dreams, and you’re always open to learning from and with other explorers – and that means you’re always changing, always adding new possibilities to your future vision, and always adjusting to the changing environment around you.  

Be willing to do the unexpected

“A pivotal moment in my career was when I was CEO the first time at the age of 32,” Schramboek said. “At that time – when startups did not exist yet – this was rather early. It was the moment to bravely admit to myself that leading a tech company was a lot of work, and that it was fun at the same time. It was a big adventure that had just begun.” 

It’s the sense of adventure that allows you to change your plans – and take on roles you didn’t think you were working towards.

Japanese scholar Okakura Kakuzo said, “The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.”

And this could not be more true in the technology sector: where the landscape is shifting constantly, and where one new idea (from anywhere in the world) can change everyone’s direction. 

Just when you figure out who you are, you realise you’re ready to change

Talking about adaptability in the tech industry isn’t a new idea. The opposite, in fact – everyone talks about it. 

But not everyone talks about self-renewal. About the willingness to become someone different and reimagine your outlook on life in relation to the industry that is, at a remarkable speed, reimagining the world around you. 

Just when you think you know who you are and what you’re working to achieve, a different door opens. An opportunity arises that hadn’t occurred to you before. If you walk through that door, you might change course completely. But if you turn your back on it, you might miss out on who you were meant to become.  

Read our full interview with Margarete Schramboek: A hotspot for the digital generation

Have an idea for a topic you'd like us to cover? We're eager to hear it! Drop us a message and share your thoughts.

Catch you next week,
Richard McKeon
Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Tahaluf

Mark your calendars for 📅 9-12 February 2025.