Why helping everyone around you grow is still the fastest path to career growth—even in the age of AI.
Introduction
One of the best pieces of career advice I ever received came from my first engineering manager. Early in my career, I was eager to prove myself by taking on difficult problems, becoming the person people relied on, and making sure I was contributing as much as I possibly could. During one of our conversations, he offered a piece of advice that didn't make much sense to me at the time.
"If you want to get promoted, make it so you're no longer needed in your current role."
I remember thinking that sounded completely backwards. Why would I want to make myself unnecessary? Wouldn't that simply make me easier to replace?
