There’s good news … and some not so good news for “mid-lifer” and later stage careers.  The upside is that new and innovative mid-career and later-life pathways are emerging as organisations grow horizontally through alliances and partnerships.  On the other hand, the effective integration of these partnerships is a critical need that managers more accustomed to vertical career progression are sometimes not so comfortable meeting.  More experienced “mid-lifers” have or can quickly develop the necessary horizontal leadership skill sets. The question is: what does it take to navigate the snakes and ladders of later-stage careers?