From Chemist to Executive Coach: What Leaders Can Learn from a Non-Linear Career

Many leaders reach a point in their career where something feels slightly "off" — even when, on paper, everything looks successful. In this episode, Gerrit Pelzer shares his personal professional journey: from studying chemistry and earning a PhD, through senior leadership roles in the chemical industry (including several years as an expat in Thailand), to eventually becoming an executive coach.

Rather than telling a story for its own sake, this conversation uses Gerrit's journey as a case study for leadership reflection. Together, Martin and Gerrit explore what leaders can learn from moments of dissonance, gradual realization, and the courage to take inventory when a role no longer feels aligned.

Key themes explored in this episode include:

• Why career change is rarely driven by a single "aha moment," but by many small signals that form a bigger picture over time
• The difference between being competent at a job and feeling genuinely fulfilled by it
• How comfort, habit, and external success can quietly become a prison
• The importance of listening to recurring patterns: what people come to you for, what you're naturally good at, and where your energy goes
• Why reflection — not action — is often what senior leaders need most

The episode also revisits Daniel H. Pink’s concept of motivation, focusing on autonomy, mastery, and purpose, and how these factors played out very differently in Gerrit's corporate career versus his work as a coach. (For a deeper dive, listen to our earlier episode on motivation at work.)

If you sense that something in your professional life may need adjustment — without necessarily knowing what — the episode offers practical reflection questions and structured ways to explore next steps. One of these is the GAPS Grid, a tool frequently used in coaching to examine passion, abilities, and how others perceive your strengths. (We explore the GAPS Grid in detail in a dedicated earlier episode.)

This episode is especially relevant for senior leaders who:

• Feel successful but not fully engaged
• Are questioning long-held career assumptions
• Want to reflect more deeply on alignment, purpose, and direction
• Are considering change — but are unsure how to come to a clear and well-founded decision

Rather than offering quick answers, the conversation invites you to slow down, reflect honestly, and face questions head-on — trusting that clarity often emerges through exploration over time.

About Second Crack
More information about us and our work is available on our website: secondcrackleadership.com. Contact us now to explore how we can support your leadership development in a company-wide initiative or with individual executive coaching: hello@secondcrackleadership.com.
 
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Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer