If you’re leading a team but feeling overwhelmed, this may sound familiar - You’re responsible for outcomes, people, or both. Others look to you for clarity, direction, and calm. And even when things are going well, the weight of leadership doesn’t really turn off. From the outside, this often looks like success. From the inside, it can feel heavy. This is one of the most common stages I see in my work as a professional and career coach, and it’s what we call the Captain season.

Not every career challenge shows up as burnout or failure. Sometimes it shows up as uncertainty—that quiet, persistent pull toward something different, even if the next step isn’t fully clear yet. And one of the most common stages we see people land in? A phase we call “The Pathfinder.”

In toddler years, we’d just be learning to walk. In business years, we’re running ultra-marathons—literally. That feels about right for Harjo Leadership turning two.