Quick question . . . how many people do you know at least 15 years into their career that are genuinely and objectively elite at their jobs? I don’t mean the best in the office or in the town. I mean anyone who understands the job/industry and observed them would acknowledge they are among the truly elite at that work.
I bet the number of people you know like that isn’t especially big. I also bet you know a lotttttt of people 15+ years into their career who are great people that are good, but not elite, at their jobs.
I’m least interested in the skill and performance growth in professionals during the first 10 years of their career. If you don’t improve over that time you aren’t trying or you’re in the wrong arena. I’m most interested in the skill and performance growth in professionals between years 10 - 30 of their career.
People automatically associate experience with improvement. Reality is frequently different than our natural assumptions. Experience tells how long you’ve been in the game, not how good you are at it. Look with no predetermined filter. Observe with no assumptions. Assess with no preconceived ideas.
Some people are good enough to get a job but not get better at the job. Some people are better at keeping a job than they are at performing in the job. Some people build enough skill to reach a certain level then ride those skills out with minimal improvement until retirement.
Before you know it there’s a lot of people with a lot of experience who haven’t gotten a lot better with time. They were just good enough to survive.
Embrace the chase. Do the work.
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