Office Hours: Why You Should Tell Your Employees to Forge Their Own Path

Updated: October 22, 2025

By: Cornerstone Editors

1 MIN

Editor's Note: This post is part of our biweekly "Office Hours" video series, featuring quick career, workplace and leadership tips from talent management experts and business leaders across the globe.

If there's anything universal that successful individuals have in common, it's that they define their own success. Mentors and managers can provide guidance and make suggestions, but if they get too pushy, your employees could find themselves on a path they never intended—or wanted—to take.

In this video, Jeff Miller, Cornerstone's senior director of talent management, describes his initial excitement, inevitable conflict and lasting heartache of a post-grad business venture gone wrong and what it taught him about following his own path.


Miller recommends reminding employees to "make clarity a passion" by setting clear expectations and goals for themselves. To keep them on the right track, have regular conversations about how you can help them build confidence and take ownership of their careers.

Photo: Creative Commons

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