The Ceiling Is Far Higher Than You Think
In mid-career, we assume that the ceiling of mastery is just slightly above where we currently are. This self-flattering humility keeps us asking "what should I do?" and not "what should I learn?"
The notion that you know exactly where the ceiling of mastery of your craft is and the self-flattering humility that you are tantalizingly close to that ceiling is a hidden reason why some mid-career professionals do not reach their ambitious career goals.
Truth is that the ceiling is far higher than you think.
This is almost never openly shared / discussed but it became quite clear to me after having so many coaching conversations with otherwise smart and driven mid-career folks (including startup founders).
The self-flattering humility is the biggest offender here because… wait for it… it is how we set the ceiling.
We don’t set the ceiling “objectively” by analyzing those who are at the top of the craft.
We set the ceiling just a notch above where we are right now.
Mid-career onwards, ambitious people usually ask “what should I do?” but they almost never ask “what should I learn?”
You don’t have to take any of this on faith: if you are a manager or do coaching of any kind, consider how many times you’ve heard a *mid-career ambitious & driven person* ask about what to do vs. the (likely near-zero) times that s/he asks what to learn.
This happens even when they know someone — or even closely observed someone — who has achieved mastery of their craft.1
And it’s not like they are blind to the impact that this master is having.
They acknowledge the impact, but then quickly dismiss the master’s underlying skill with statements like
“oh, they’re just politically savvy” or
“oh, they got in early at the company” or
“oh, they were in the right place at the right time” or
“oh, they have great cross-functional partners” etc. etc.
The point here is not that this master needs to be put up on a pedestal. None of this is about the master, it is entirely about you.
The point is that the evidence of the very high ceiling is often in front of you, if you’ve spent 10 to 20 years in high talent environments. And despite that, you will assume that the ceiling is clearly just slightly above where you happen to be right now.
Why is the understanding of the true ceiling important in the first place?
Simple. It will make you more open than you currently are.
Open in how sincerely you listen to others2.
Open in the kind of learning you seek and who you even turn to for your learning.
Open to more correct diagnoses of some of your problems, since now you know it’s at least partly a skill issue not solely an environment issue.
Frankly, few will heed this message and even fewer will internalize it3. So if it doesn’t resonate with you, know that you are not alone. This stuff is tough to accept and people’s personalities are not all alike.
No uncomfortable truth has ever been universally embraced, and this one won't be either.
But if something in here did resonate, something in here did feel like truth, then I trust that you will have also spotted multiple pointers above for what might come next for you.
-Shreyas
Past posts you can catch up on:
Why products fail (the definitive audio deep dive)
As a meta-point, if I were optimizing this post for broad virality, it would be rational to include a bunch of seductive examples of the high ceilings set by great, inspiring founders, along with vivid stories and anecdotes about my experience working with them. But if you’re reading this footnote, you already know that this isn’t my style. What you might not know is that it isn’t my style because these stories don’t actually work in any practical way. They are just entertainment. And that’s why you get virality from such stories, but you don’t get much else. Those objecting mentally “no, but the stories do help reinforce the idea” or “no, I find the stories inspiring”, consider that you’ve already heard and read dozens of those stories (hundreds if you listen to podcasts). Why isn’t your problem solved already then? Why do you want 3 more stories right now?
Easily >90% of people in top tier companies don’t listen with openness.
This is fine and it is expected, because everything is not meant for everyone.
There is some joy and some pain reading it , but well articulated.
This is excellent. I observe that this post felt like a _natural_ continuation of some of your recent posts. I am not sure if the structure is planned (from your side) or emergent.
I think there is actually a kind of reverse Gell-Mann Amnesia effect, where it is easier to appreciate extreme expertise in unfamiliar areas, where you don't see it in your own occupation. You have said things along these lines previously of course. I experienced it for myself when I recently learned to solve a Rubik's cube: https://www.azfuller.com/blog/rubiks-cube
I am enjoying this series.