As we all know that our lives depends on our career, if we don't have a good job we'll have to struggle to make ends meet.
Naturally, all of us want our efforts to be recognized, we try our best to work the hardest and impress our bosses by showing them that we are brilliant, proficient and shine in front of our clients in a hope for a promotion.
That is true without a doubt, but what we don't realize is that it could also be the key to a disaster in your career.
There's an unwritten rule in any organization which gives you faster recognition, makes you irreplaceable and makes you the most valuable person in the entire organization.
Never outshine your master!
Every person of influence in any organization is always inferior, selfish and egoistic. So, if you keep showing that you could handle things better and that you could transform the organization to a better position if you were the manager, you are digging a deeper hole for you to be in after he hangs you. He will see you as a threat to his position rather than a valuable contributor to the organization's success.
However, there is a way you can do that without putting your career at risk. In fact, it will bring you success faster than your peers.
Use his weakness as your tools! For example, if you wanted to tell your boss that the organization is in a mess and it needs an overhaul, you don't tell him that directly, but rather indirectly by suggesting to him that such improvements can be made in order for the organization to perform better and seek his opinion on them before you seek his approval. Once changes has been made, give him the credit!
By doing so you are not hurting his ego that he has been running a mess, instead you are stroking his ego and eliminating his inferiority by making him feel smart and important. Once you have done that a few times, he will be dependent on you (since you've made him shine before) you'll be more valuable to him than anyone else in the entire organization and this will make you most valuable and irreplaceable!
As time goes by, your peers will know that you were behind his successful decisions and will make you the perfect successor when he steps down.
Think of yourself as the northern star and your boss is the sun. He appears large and bright, but everyone seeks you for direction!
Naturally, all of us want our efforts to be recognized, we try our best to work the hardest and impress our bosses by showing them that we are brilliant, proficient and shine in front of our clients in a hope for a promotion.
That is true without a doubt, but what we don't realize is that it could also be the key to a disaster in your career.
There's an unwritten rule in any organization which gives you faster recognition, makes you irreplaceable and makes you the most valuable person in the entire organization.
Never outshine your master!
Every person of influence in any organization is always inferior, selfish and egoistic. So, if you keep showing that you could handle things better and that you could transform the organization to a better position if you were the manager, you are digging a deeper hole for you to be in after he hangs you. He will see you as a threat to his position rather than a valuable contributor to the organization's success.
However, there is a way you can do that without putting your career at risk. In fact, it will bring you success faster than your peers.
Use his weakness as your tools! For example, if you wanted to tell your boss that the organization is in a mess and it needs an overhaul, you don't tell him that directly, but rather indirectly by suggesting to him that such improvements can be made in order for the organization to perform better and seek his opinion on them before you seek his approval. Once changes has been made, give him the credit!
By doing so you are not hurting his ego that he has been running a mess, instead you are stroking his ego and eliminating his inferiority by making him feel smart and important. Once you have done that a few times, he will be dependent on you (since you've made him shine before) you'll be more valuable to him than anyone else in the entire organization and this will make you most valuable and irreplaceable!
As time goes by, your peers will know that you were behind his successful decisions and will make you the perfect successor when he steps down.
Think of yourself as the northern star and your boss is the sun. He appears large and bright, but everyone seeks you for direction!
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ReplyDeleteAn amusing, yet reflective piece! Write more!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the northern star analogy! At work, with difficult clients I had the same strategy, called "massaging the ego".. I cracked up laughing when i saw you used "stroke his ego". Great minds my friend. This post should be in some "self-help for the depressed employee" journal!!
ReplyDelete