OD11 digital HR - Flipbook - Page 33
YOUNG ODs
T
here’s a moment in
life when the people
you once saw as heroes,
whether international
athletes, chart-topping
musicians or industry leaders,
aren’t just names on a screen
any more. They start looking like
your friends. In fact, in many cases,
they are your friends.
I remember my dad mentioning
this idea years ago – that there
comes a time when the sportsmen
on TV are suddenly your age or
younger. Back then, I couldn’t
quite picture any of my friends
in international colours. Then,
one day, Brad Roberts, a friend
from university, casually trotted
onto the field for Wales wearing
Welsh red. Just like that, the big,
scary rugby players started looking
more friendly.
Friends of Francois Louw (2003W),
Dillyn Leyds (2010S) and now Sacha
Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2020F) will
understand that feeling. Seeing
them pull on a Springbok jersey,
play with ice in their veins and
forge their names among the
stars has been revelatory for
many of us. It reminds us that
where we want to be is right
there; it’s often just a matter of
time, belief and work. Personally,
seeing Sacha step up the way he
did last year has motivated me to
step up in my own career, remind
myself of my dreams, pray more
and embrace the law of attraction.
But not all of us are rugby players,
and most career moves don’t play
out under stadium lights. It’s easy
to notice musicians like Will Linley,
whose songs rack up millions of
streams, or rugby players who
perform in front of sell-out crowds.
But what about the steps that
happen behind closed doors,
in boardrooms, on Zoom calls, in
PhD dissertations, or in the quiet,
unseen moments of perseverance?
This article is about all of them
– the obvious steps, and the
overlooked. I approached five
successful young ODs in five
different industries to find out
how people in different areas
of life have made the step up in
their careers – hoping that it can
inspire you to take a step up, too.
WILL LINLEY
Pop star, age 23
As a former Bishops head boy,
Will Linley (2019K) took a path less
likely: into the world of pop music.
During his first year out of school –
2020, the year of Covid – he turned
the restrictions of lockdown into an
opportunity to become prolifically
creative, posting snippets of his
music online as he went. His first
hit, “Miss Me (When You’re Gone)”,
amassed more than four million
hits before it was officially released.
Since then, he has signed with Island
Records; recorded in Los Angeles;
opened for OneRepublic; toured
Europe and North America; and
released two EPs, including
12 singles and counting.
“I
’m at a really interesting
point in my career. The
first three years were all
about consolidating, building the
world of Will Linley, figuring out
how fans perceive my music and
where I fit in the industry. Now,
I’m at an exciting stage – I get
to develop that sound further,
“Stepping up takes continuous exploration,
never settling, always questioning, always
pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.”
refine what a Will Linley show
looks and feels like, and take
the blueprint we’ve created to
the next level, making it bigger
and more interesting.
“Lately, I’ve been writing music
that feels more mature than
anything I’ve put out so far. As
I release more singles and work
towards an album at the end of
the year, I think people might be
surprised by the evolution in my
music: the writing, the depth, the
growth. It’s exciting to feel like
I truly understand who Will Linley,
the artist, is – what he represents,
and how I want to show up in
the world. I refer to myself in the
third person because there’s me,
the person – and then there’s
Will Linley, the artist.
“Stepping up takes continuous
exploration, never settling, always
questioning, always pushing the
boundaries of what’s possible.
There’s still so much for me to
explore in my career and in my
music, but the key is never to stop
creating. The more I create, the
more my music evolves. And with
that, I get to take the next step,
