Grow Where You’re Planted

We live in an impatient world.

We want the promotion. The bigger responsibility. The recognition. The opportunity to lead. And once we believe we’re ready, waiting for someone else to recognize it can be incredibly frustrating.

But one of the lessons I’ve learned over the course of my career is this:

You can be ready for the next opportunity and still not be ready for it today.

There is a difference.

Careers are built over decades, not quarters. And some of the most important seasons of your career will be the ones when it feels like nothing is happening.

But something is happening.

Think about a plant growing in a pot. For a while, you may not see much happening above the soil. But beneath the surface, roots are spreading. They’re becoming stronger. They’re learning to absorb the water and nutrients the plant needs. The plant is establishing itself so it can withstand heat, drought, wind and everything else that comes with growing.

Eventually, that plant may outgrow its pot. It may need to be repotted into something larger or replanted somewhere it has more room to grow.

But first, it has to grow where it’s planted.

Careers work much the same way.

You’re gaining experience. You’re developing judgment. You’re building relationships. You’re learning how organizations really work. You’re watching good leaders and bad leaders. You’re making mistakes when the consequences are still relatively small.

Most importantly, you’re building a reputation.

That takes time.

Early in our careers, we tend to measure progress vertically: What is my title? Who do I report to? How much am I making? When am I getting promoted?

Later, we realize there are other measures that matter much more.

Who trusts me?

Who wants me on their team?

Who calls me when there is a difficult problem to solve?

Who would follow me if I were asked to lead?

Those are your roots.

And they cannot be rushed.

That doesn’t mean you should lack ambition. Quite the opposite. Work hard. Ask for more responsibility. Take risks. Volunteer for the difficult assignment. Make sure your leaders know what you aspire to accomplish.

But don’t confuse ambition with impatience.

I’ve watched talented people damage promising careers because they became so focused on the next job that they stopped doing their current job exceptionally well. They were so anxious to be replanted that they stopped growing where they were.

Sometimes the best career move you can make is to stay where you are a little longer and become undeniably good at what you do.

There will also be setbacks.

You’ll lose a promotion you thought you deserved. Someone less experienced may get an opportunity you wanted. A reorganization may eliminate the position you were working toward. A new leader may arrive and change everything.

Those moments can feel enormous when you’re living through them.

Five or ten years later, they often look very different.

That’s where patience becomes more than a virtue. It becomes a career strategy.

Patience gives you the perspective to separate a disappointing moment from a bad career. It allows you to keep learning, performing and building relationships while others become frustrated and distracted.

Eventually, there may come a time when you really have outgrown the pot. You’ve developed the skills. You’ve built the track record. You’ve demonstrated the character. You’re ready for more responsibility—and perhaps the place you’re planted simply doesn’t have enough room for you to continue growing.

Then it may be time to be replanted.

But don’t uproot yourself every time growth seems slow.

Grow where you’re planted.

Put down roots. Become stronger. Develop resilience. Absorb everything the experience has to teach you. Do excellent work. Develop people. Build trust. 

Prepare yourself for the opportunity you want.

And when the time comes to move into a bigger pot, you won’t just be anxious for the opportunity.

You’ll have the roots to thrive when you get there.