Forget fuzzy personality quizzes.
This one can shape your entire career trajectory.
After coaching 100s of professionals into their
dream roles, here’s what I’ve learned:
The way your skills are shaped...
➟ Your depth in some areas
➟ Your range in others
➟ How you focus and lead
...offers powerful insight.
Not into what you should do.
But into what’s already working.
And where you might want to grow next.
Here’s a framework that helps you see it more clearly:
T-Shaped
✅ Broad knowledge
✅ Deep expertise in one area
➡️ Great collaborator, but may hit a ceiling
without leadership depth
M-Shaped
✅ Multiple deep specialties
✅ Spans several disciplines
➡️ Built for systems thinking and leading in complexity
V-Shaped
✅ Deep core strength
✅ Adjacent versatility
➡️ Ideal for pivots and stepping into new challenges
E-Shaped
✅ Creativity + collaboration + communication
✅ Grounded in execution
➡️ Perfect in client-facing and creative roles,
But it can plateau without strategic growth
I-Shaped
✅ Deep focus in one area
✅ Specialist status
➡️ Highly trusted (often overlooked for leadership)
X-Shaped
✅ Strategic range
✅ Deep domain + leadership strength
➡️ Think executive-level impact. Rare. In demand.
No shape is better.
But some shapes move faster,
Depending on where you want to go.
The key?
Grow into your next shape with purpose. Not by accident.
So…
What shape are you in today?
What shape are you stretching into?