In my own career journey — from working at fast-moving startups to climbing corporate ladders — there were many times when I felt stuck, restless, or uncertain.
I’d ask myself:

• “Am I still growing here?”

• “Or is this role starting to slow me down?”

Over time, I realized something critical: Your career and your company are like two plants.
If one stops growing — or grows faster than the other — imbalance happens.
And that’s when you have a decision to make.

Let's talk about how you’ll know it’s time to leave, and when it's best to stay and stretch a little longer.

The Core Truth: Growth Rates Matter

One of the best pieces of career advice I ever got was simple:

Stay at a company as long as your growth matches the company's growth.
Leave when the mismatch starts holding you back — or when you get left behind.

It sounds obvious, but living it out is more complex.

You need two things to assess it properly:

1. A clear framework for your personal career growth.

2. An honest understanding of your company's growth trajectory.

When you layer these together — you’ll know exactly when it’s time to move on.

First: What Does Growth Actually Look Like?

🌱 Company Growth Looks Like:

• More customers, more revenue, more teams.

• New products, new markets, new leadership layers.

• Bigger ambitions, bigger budgets, bigger impacts.

(Think of a startup maturing into a global brand like Shopify or Airbnb.)

🌱 Personal Growth Looks Like:

• Expanding your scope (feature → product → product line).

• Moving from execution to strategy.

• Navigating more ambiguity without needing constant guidance.

• Managing people, then managers of people.

• Increasing emotional intelligence, not just technical skill.

• Higher compensation that matches your increasing value.

(Essentially — becoming someone who can solve bigger, messier, and more meaningful problems.)

Three Scenarios to Watch For

Let’s break it down clearly:
When should you stay? When should you leave?

1. You’re Growing Faster Than Your Company

This used to happen to me early in my career.
I would pick up new skills insanely fast — and within months, I’d be ready for bigger challenges... but sometimes the company wasn’t.

Here’s the thing:

• If your company doesn't have enough complexity, growth, or challenges to match your hunger...

• Or if there simply aren’t new projects, teams, or opportunities...

It’s not your impatience.
It’s a real mismatch of momentum.

👉 Don’t leave just because your boss doesn’t immediately promote you.
Mastery takes time.

But if, after honest conversations and consistent efforts, the ceiling feels real —
It’s okay to leave.
It’s not disloyalty. It’s loyalty to your potential.

🌟 Psychology Insight:
Research from Daniel Pink shows that growth (mastery) is a primary human motivator. Without it, engagement drops sharply over time.

🌿 Eastern Wisdom:
In Buddhism, growth and change are the natural rhythms of life. Stagnation signals it’s time for conscious action — movement in alignment with your higher self.

2. Your Company is Growing Faster Than You

Sometimes the opposite happens.
You join a company, start strong — and suddenly it explodes into hypergrowth.

Suddenly:

• New hires everywhere.

• More process, politics, and pressure.

• You feel outpaced, unsettled, and lost in the shuffle.

This happened to me once at a tech company that scaled from 100 to 800 people in under 18 months.
I barely recognized the organization anymore.

And it wasn’t just me.
Many of my colleagues quietly transitioned out to earlier-stage startups where their skills shined better.

👉 If the company’s acceleration exposes skill gaps you can’t or don't want to close right now — it’s okay to pivot.

You’re not failing.
You’re being called somewhere better suited to your current season.

🌟 Psychology Insight:
In Organizational Psychology, a phenomenon called "discontinuous change" shows that people often thrive in specific stages of company life (early, growth, mature) but not all.

🌿 Eastern Wisdom:
Lao Tzu teaches that resisting natural cycles leads to suffering. Sometimes, you must flow with the river, not cling to a rock.

3. You’re Growing at the Same Pace as Your Company

This is the sweet spot.
The magic zone.

• You’re learning just slightly faster than you’re comfortable with.

• New opportunities open just as you master old ones.

• You’re a little stretched, but still energized.

At Facebook (now Meta), I met colleagues who had stayed and thrived for 8-10+ years — because the pace of hypergrowth consistently pulled them forward without drowning them.

👉 If you find this rhythm, hold onto it.
Not forever blindly — but as long as it feels aligned.

🌟 Psychology Insight:
Flow Theory (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) shows we are happiest when challenges slightly exceed our skills, pulling us into deep engagement.

🌿 Eastern Wisdom:
The Bhagavad Gita reminds us that true growth comes through committed action balanced with surrender to the journey.

How to Know When It’s Really Time to Go

Here are 5 reflection questions I use personally when considering a move:

1. Am I still learning and stretching regularly?

2. Is the company offering opportunities aligned with my future vision?

3. Is leadership invested in my growth?

4. Am I staying because of fear, inertia, or loyalty to the past?

5. Does the environment energize or deplete me most days?

If the answers point toward misalignment — that’s your nudge.

Don’t Overthink “Rules” Like Two Years or Five Years

Forget rigid career advice like:

• “You should stay at least two years.”

• “You must leave after five years to avoid stagnation.”

Life isn’t that binary.
Stay when you’re growing. Leave when you’re wilting.

Period.

The Inner Compass: Trusting Yourself

Leaving a job, especially one you once loved, can feel terrifying.
But remember:

• Growth always involves discomfort.

• Change is your soul asking for expansion.

• Staying stuck is far scarier than starting fresh.

✨ In Zen Buddhism, there's a beautiful reminder:

“When the soul is ready, the opportunity appears.”

If your heart is nudging you toward the next step — listen.

Move With Courage, Grow With Grace

You are not meant to stay small.
You are not meant to stay safe forever.

You are meant to evolve—beautifully, imperfectly, courageously.

Sometimes that means staying and growing deeper roots.
Sometimes that means flying to a new field.

Honor where you are.
Move when it’s time.
Trust your inner seasons.

The best is yet to come. 🌱✨