When you first start, expectations are typically pretty low. A fresh person coming into a new environment without knowing anyone or really anything about how things operate – you aren’t typically expected to do much.

So it’s not uncommon for the “new guy” to make some waves and make a name for himself. After a good show of competence, everyone starts to get excited about the potential for the future.

If the new guy happens to be young, the buzz can be even greater.

That’s how people’s careers start to take off. A few strong showings lead to a rapidly growing reputation, and the expectations that come along with it.

But even if the “new guy” is able to maintain his humility, there are a few potential problems.

For one, growing too fast can make it impossible to build a strong foundation.

Look at most of the people who have remained at the top of their industries. More often than not, you’ll see individuals who put their time in and mastered their craft at the bottom. It’s hard to understand how a business works if you’ve never been on the ground level.

Further, you can only be new and young for so long. Inevitably, the growth will eventually level off.

For those who build their identity around their rapid career ascent, this can lead to serious performance issues and emotional drain once they plateau. This manifests itself as the corporate director who can’t stay at a job longer than a year and a half, or the disgruntled middle-manager who dreams about how things could have been.

It’s not the growth or the ambition in itself that cause the problem though. The problem comes when we try to rush the climb.

Maybe it’s better to take the stairs.

-Brandon