Choosing Roles Beyond Current Capabilities

Molly Graham embraces roles where she feels deeply unqualified, seeking learning curves so steep she's "scared of falling off." This approach stems from her belief that discomfort drives growth and that the most valuable career experiences come from taking risks rather than following predictable paths.

When facing new challenges, Molly views the inevitable period of feeling incompetent (typically 6-9 months) as a necessary part of the "J curve" of growth. While traditional career paths resemble stairs with predictable, incremental advancement, J-curve careers involve jumping off cliffs, experiencing a painful fall, then climbing out far beyond where the stairs could have taken you.

This philosophy requires distinguishing between different types of fear. Financial anxiety might be a legitimate reason to pause, but fear of failure or inadequacy should be seen as a "flashing green light" - an indicator you're about to learn something valuable about yourself and your capabilities. The discomfort of not knowing the answers becomes a feature rather than a bug.

For leaders and individual contributors, this means:

1. Recognize that feeling qualified for your role might indicate you're not growing fast enough
2. Embrace being a "professional moron" who asks basic questions others are afraid to ask
3. Focus on becoming a "10x learner" rather than immediately being a "10x performer"
4. Understand that what you know today matters less than what you can learn by tomorrow
5. Accept that the greatest career gift is self-knowledge, which comes fastest when attempting things you don't yet know how to do

In rapidly changing environments, your ability to learn and adapt will ultimately determine your value more than any specific expertise you currently possess.