Still learning. Still unlearning.

Last week I was speaking with a group of NYU students about career growth.

One of them asked, “What’s something you wish you knew earlier in your career?”

I didn’t hesitate.

I wish I had questioned my assumptions sooner.

Early in my career, I believed meritocracy was clean and complete.
Do great work. Deliver results. Keep your head down. You’ll rise.

Results matter. A lot.

But they’re not the whole equation.

Influence matters.
Relationships matter.
Sponsorship matters.
Diplomacy matters.

I had to unlearn that performance alone determines trajectory.
I had to unlearn that senior titles come with all the answers. (They don’t.)
I had to unlearn that being right matters more than listening well.

Unlearning didn’t make me less principled.
It made me more effective.

Still learning. Still unlearning.