Are you good at being new?
This seems like a strange question, but it says a lot about your potential. When I work with leaders, I notice that the earlier they are in their career, the more they struggle with being new, and the more senior they are, the more at ease they are.
This is not a hard and fast rule, but more of a general observation. And what it tells me is that the sooner you can be ‘good at being new’, the sooner you will settle into your new role, the more impact you will make and the more career jumps you are likely to have.
Why? Because being good at being new is a skill. It is not easy to feel like a beginner when you’re used to being highly competent. It’s not easy to clumsily bump around a business trying to figure out who is who, when you’re used to knowing exactly who does what, and where to find them. But the sooner we can make peace with the awkwardness of being a beginner (anywhere), the quicker we become better, and the faster we rise.
So, if you want to accelerate your career - get good at being new. The short-term pain will bring untold gain. Are you up for the challenge?