Destiny: The Path We Shape with Every Decision
- Susan Robertson
- Sep 22
- 7 min read
Introduction: The Question of Destiny
Author: Susan H Robertson
As the fall season begins, it reminds me to reflect back on the year. How have I changed? How have I grown? Have I been purposeful in my direction? Destiny is one of those words that stirs both wonder and skepticism. Some believe destiny is etched in stone, predetermined, an unchangeable script that life forces us to follow. Others see destiny as the intersection of preparation and opportunity—a dynamic path shaped by the decisions we make every day.
I lean toward the latter. Destiny is not fate that happens to us. Destiny is what happens through us. It is the sum of our choices, our resilience in the face of setbacks, and our willingness to act courageously when the easy path is to wait.
Destiny is a dynamic path shaped by the decisions we make every day.
In leadership, destiny plays out in particularly vivid ways. Careers don't ascend by accident, and leaders don't stumble into significance. Every executive I've coached who rose to the C-suite did so not because they sat back and waited for their time but because they made deliberate choices to stretch, grow, and take ownership of their future.
Destiny and leadership are intertwined. Your destiny as a leader is not simply to "get the role" or "reach the top." It is to fulfill the unique contribution only you can make—to shape cultures, guide strategy, and influence people in ways that leave a lasting imprint.
In this article, we'll explore:
What destiny is (and isn't).
How destiny and leadership intertwine.
The decisions that shape leadership destiny.
The derailers that block it.
Practical ways to seize agency and shape your own path.
Finally, I'll leave you with a challenge: consider whether you are actively creating your destiny or waiting for someone else to define it for you.
1. What Is Destiny?
Destiny is often conflated with fate, but they are not the same.
Fate implies inevitability. It suggests a force beyond our control.
Destiny, however, carries agency. It is influenced by choices, by character, and by action.
Leadership researcher James MacGregor Burns once noted that leadership is "one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth." The same could be said of destiny.
We recognize it when we look back—seeing how the pivotal moments, decisions, and relationships all stitched together into a coherent path. But in the present moment, destiny feels like a fog. We can't always see what lies ahead; we can only choose the next step.
Destiny, is clarity paired with courage.
Destiny, then, is clarity paired with courage. It is shaped by vision (where do I want to go?), choices (what will I do today?), resilience (how will I respond when the path gets hard?), and the results of your decisions and actions.
2. Destiny and Leadership: The Inseparable Link
Leaders don't just live out their own destinies—they shape the destinies of others.
Teams, companies, even entire industries can pivot based on the decisions of one leader. That's why leadership and destiny are inseparable.
As McKinsey's research on CEO excellence reminds us, the most effective CEOs don't view their role as an arrival point but as a responsibility to shape the future. They focus not on avoiding mistakes but on making bold moves early, reframing what winning means, and staying purposeful.
When you step into leadership, your destiny becomes more than personal—it becomes communal. Your clarity of vision, values, and willingness to make tough decisions ripple outward into the organization's culture.
Leaders who abdicate their role in shaping destiny leave a vacuum. The company drifts. Teams fracture. Cultures calcify. But leaders who seize their role as destiny-shapers inspire belief and unlock potential in those around them.
Destiny, then, is not only about what you achieve. It is about the legacy you create.
3. Decisions That Shape Leadership Destiny
Destiny is built decision by decision. Some are obvious—taking a new role, saying yes to a challenging assignment, moving across the world to lead a market turnaround. Others are quieter but just as pivotal—the choice to speak up in a meeting, to mentor a struggling colleague, or to shift from tactical execution to strategic influence.
Here are five categories of decisions that shape leadership destiny:
Vision Decisions – Where do I want to go? Leaders with a clear career vision anchor their destiny. As outlined in Your Executive Journey, defining your North Star ensures every step aligns with your ultimate aspiration.
Growth Decisions – What skills will I build?Leaders who commit to continuous learning, cross-functional exposure, and executive skill development widen their destiny's possibilities.
Influence Decisions – Who will I surround myself with? No executive rises alone. The circle of influence you build—mentors, advocates, truth-tellers—directly shapes your trajectory.
Brand Decisions – How will I be perceived? As I often say: performance gets you noticed, but perception gets you promoted. Destiny is shaped as much by how you're seen as by what you do.
Character Decisions – Who am I becoming in the process?
Leadership destiny is hollow if it comes at the cost of integrity, humility, or purpose. True destiny is not about the role you hold—it's about the person you become.
During coaching sessions with clients, I often help them see the connection between their behaviors—their actions or inactions in a given moment—and how those choices shape their destiny.
One client, for example, had a strong desire to be seen and get credit. Admirable qualities, but they carried risk. He was overlooked for a promotion because senior management dismissed one of his ideas as unrealistic. In that moment, he faced a choice: abandon the idea to protect his standing, or continue to champion it despite the setback. He chose the latter. Eight months later, the very strategy that was once dismissed became the company’s leading strategy.
That decision could have gone either way. Had it failed, the consequences would have been different. But the point is this: destiny is not passive. It is a series of choices—when to speak, when to hold back, when to persist, and when to pivot. Every choice carries consequences. And together, those choices become the architecture of our destiny.
Destiny is a series of choices, when to persist, when to pivot. Every choice carries consequences.
4. The Derailers That Block Destiny
For every leader moving steadily toward destiny, there are derailers pulling others off track. I see this pattern frequently in my work on Executive Emotional Intelligence (EEiQ)™. High performers stall—not for lack of ability but because of unseen barriers.
Six common derailers include:
Composure gaps – Losing presence under pressure.
Narrow influence – Being known only in a small circle.
Unclear value – Inability to articulate strategic impact.
Brand invisibility – Allowing others to shape your narrative.
Political naïveté – Ignoring the power dynamics at play.
Ego traps – Confusing ambition with entitlement.
These derailers don't just stall careers—they distort destiny. Leaders who ignore them end up passed over, frustrated, and wondering why their effort didn't translate to opportunity.
Destiny demands awareness. It requires humility to see where you fall short and courage to shift.
5. Practical Ways to Seize Agency Over Your Destiny
Shaping destiny isn't mystical. It is practical. It is a series of intentional steps. Here are three frameworks that help leaders actively create destiny:
1. From–To–Next (Executive Breakthrough Map)
From → Where you are today (undervalued, overlooked).
To → Where you want to go (executive leader, strategist).
Next → The immediate shift you must make (speak boldly, claim space, trust self).
Destiny is shaped by clarity of your trajectory.
2. Executive Emotional Intelligence (EEiQ)
Build composure under scrutiny, political awareness, and influence across systems.
Destiny is shaped by presence, not just performance.
3. Executive Career Visioning
Define your career North Star, align with values, set milestones, and anticipate obstacles.
The clarity of vision and deliberate milestones shapes destiny.
Leaders who apply these tools stop waiting for promotions, recognition, or "their turn." They actively create their next chapter.
6. The Spiritual Dimension of Destiny
Though destiny is deeply practical, it also carries a spiritual thread.
It asks: What am I here for? What unique impact am I meant to make?
Great leaders don't just chase titles. They wrestle with purpose. They ask how their influence will benefit shareholders, people, communities, and even future generations.
Destiny becomes powerful when it transcends personal ambition. When your leadership is tied to something larger than yourself—when you see your career not just as achievement but as assignment—your decisions carry deeper weight.
7. A Call to Leaders: Don't Wait, Shape
If you've ever felt stuck, invisible, or overlooked, let me say this clearly: your destiny is not denied, but it may be delayed if you do not claim it.
Destiny is not about waiting for your turn. It's about shaping your path.
Destiny is not about perfection. It's about progression.
Destiny is not about luck. It's about leadership.
As the research on CEO pathways shows, those who outperform are not those who had the easiest stepping stones but those who cultivated self-awareness, influence, and boldness.
Your destiny is waiting—not as fate to be discovered, but as a future to be created.
Conclusion: Your Destiny as a Leader
Destiny is not a script someone else writes for you. It is the leadership story you write day by day.
Every vision you cast clarifies your destiny.
Every decision you make bends it toward or away from your goals.
Every challenge you face shapes your resilience.
Every person you influence extends the reach of your destiny beyond yourself.
I think back to the client who was passed over for promotion but chose to champion an idea others dismissed. That single choice changed the trajectory of his career and the company. His story reminds me that destiny is rarely about one defining moment—it is about the accumulation of choices that, together, create the architecture of your life and leadership.
The real question is: are you actively shaping your destiny or letting it be shaped for you?
I encourage you to take out a journal this week and complete this simple reflection:
My From: Where I am today…
My To: Where I aspire to go…
My Next: The one shift I must make now…
Then ask yourself: What bold micro-move will I take this week to step into my destiny?
Destiny belongs to those who claim it.
Invitation
If you're ready to stop waiting and start shaping your executive destiny, I invite you to join me in the Executive Edge Masterclass. It's designed for high-performing leaders who know they're capable of more and are ready to claim the career and leadership future they deserve.
In this live session, you'll learn why high performance isn't enough, how to reframe your executive brand, and move from overlooked to chosen.
Seats are limited, and there is no replay.
Your destiny is calling. Will you answer?
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