The Ceiling: Why Working Harder Won't Fix a Role You've Outgrown
- Jul 23
- 1 min read
A plateau and a ceiling look identical from the inside, which is why so many talented people spend years pushing on the wrong one. A plateau means there’s still room to grow where you are, and the answer is to stretch. A ceiling means the room itself can’t take you higher — the role tops out, the org has no next rung — and there, more effort is just heat and no altitude. Three questions tell them apart: is there real stretch available here, is there a job above you that you want and can actually reach, and are you still learning or just getting more efficient at what you already know? Efficiency isn’t growth. Breaking a ceiling is a change of room, not more output.
More on reading your own altitude — in The Right Altitude. therightaltitudebook.com
Comments