It's rare for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to present themselves; that's what makes them once-in-a-liftetime. Sometimes, these opportunities require you to pick up your life and start anew. Other times, these opportunities require you to stay where you are, dig deeper, and take on more.
When I started medical school in San Francisco, I quickly realized that I was not in Kansas anymore. I moved away from my hometown of Birmingham to Atlanta for college and to the D.C. area for a research fellowship following graduation. When I committed to attending UCSF, I thought, "What's another move?" I'm young and blessed with an opportunity to pursue medicine at one of the world's best institutions; when else would I be able to do a cross-country move like this? I was enticed by the prospect of a new chapter in a new city that would offer me experiences and growth in ways I couldn’t yet imagine.
I recently spoke with an emergency medicine doctor based out of Chicago who's crafted an impressive career, to put it lightly. He's from the South side of Chicago and has worked in health policy, academia, and the private sector, aiming to improve health outcomes for the most marginalized people. As he recounted the wisdom gained from these experiences, he told me, “Some people either grow roots or grow wings, and it's important to figure out which one you are.”
Growing roots is often discussed in the context of creating families and "settling down," but it's also a valuable way to think about building a fulfilling life. As it relates to a career, growing roots happens when you decide that the place you are is the place you're going to stay. The main benefit of growing roots is developing your relationships and skillset to impact your environment most. Over time, your roots deepen, and your ability to navigate challenges within the specific ecosystem you've enveloped yourself in improves drastically. Many of us look to the people who chose to grow roots in our schools or workplaces when we were in a pinch precisely for this reason. There is a significant benefit to growing roots, and everyone should consider it at each step of their career journey. As a second-year medical student about to hit the wards, it's certainly a concept that I've been wrestling with.
On the other hand, growing wings happens when you decide that a change in environment will best facilitate the growth you want. When opportunities take us to new places, we accumulate a skillset characterized by adaptability and accrue benefits we otherwise would have missed. The learning curve can be quite steep, especially when the place you came from has little in common with where you're headed. The upside, however, is that your network and understanding of how institutions operate expand. The new places you go each offer you something new that you can take with you into any space at any time. Growing wings uniquely situates you to draw connections and synthesize information using multiple reference frames to make an impact.
Growing roots and growing wings are intentional acts, to be clear. There can be many reasons to make career moves, whether to be close to loved ones or advance one's career, but growth must be intentional. Staying somewhere for a long time is not the same as growing roots, just as moving around is not the same as growing wings. For example, take two people in the same position, in the same organization, for the same length of time. The one who chooses to be intentional about developing relationships with their peers and honing the necessary skills for their role will probably feel differently about themselves than someone who does not do those things. I can't guarantee the results from these things will yield personal benefits, like, say, a job promotion or pay increase, and that's not the focus of what this doctor shared with me. This framing focuses on understanding the intention of a career move and the reasons why we make it.
It's imperative not to fall into the "grass is always greener" line of thinking. People growing roots can easily see the people growing wings and become envious of their new experiences and journeys. Those who grow wings can see those growing roots as having a consistent and appealing foundation. These lines of thinking are fallacious in that we can't see the whole story. Everyone faces unseen challenges, and every choice has consequences. Not every new experience guarantees excitement or fun, and investing in an organization is often thankless work. This is why making a convicted choice about our career is imperative.
To grow roots or wings, you must choose with conviction. This point is particularly salient because we seldom have enough information to make a completely informed decision. At some point in our career journeys, fewer and fewer structured paths are laid out for us. We have to look at the cards we're dealt and choose to play them in the best way for us. Accepting that and still choosing to move forward is the first step to growing either roots or wings.
So which one is better? Suffice it to say, it depends (a very satisfying answer, I know). Since leaving home for college, I haven't stayed in any place for more than about three and a half years. I've been growing my wings since then and can see that I couldn't have the experiences I've had otherwise. I don't know what it would have looked like to do anything other than what I've chosen to do, and that's okay. Consider the moves you've made in your career or educational journey, and give yourself credit for the ways you've grown. The most important thing is that we decide to grow, one way or another.
-kjf
