This concluding chapter revisits some of the main themes of the book. Transition expertise is discussed through the lenses of cognitive adaptability, personal intelligences, contextual intelligence, and motivation. Career transitions are discussed through the themes of self concept evolution and identity change. The methodological characteristics of the study are evaluated, including its limitations. The questions of control group, nontransitions, and failed transitions are addressed. Finally, avenues of future research are proposed, including self-efficacity and self-control, resiliency, and wisdom. The discussion is informed by the retrospective interviews with twenty-four elite performers in three domains (business, sports, and music) who successfully and repeatedly transitioned to higher positions within their field.

This chapter reviews the major theories of career transitions and the stages individuals progress through in their career. It then presents the Expert Transition Stages model, which tracks individuals through their career progression. It explains the six major career stages: (1) Studentship, (2) Performer, (3) Manager/coach, (4) Head of department, (5) Divisional lead, and (6) Chief. It focuses in particular on the five transitions between these stages and explains the nature of these transitions.