11/07/2015

I want to grow, but no one gives me an opportunity

People who hold mediocre or small job positions usually complain there’s no space for growth in the company or no opportunity for them to occupy higher positions.

More often than not, this is a wrong idea. Yes, it is true that in any firm or institution nepotism, politics and corruption may occur. But that also happens among people who hold a small or less important job position. That is just a part of life.

However, what many people fail to understand is the law of rarity: everything that is rare and scarce are of value; everything that is common and ordinary are devalued.

This law is observed easier in times of crisis. When companies need to cut down their expenses, therefore they consider laying off some employees. Then comes the tough call: Who should we keep and who should we let go? One of the main criteria, considering the company’s survival, is to keep those who bring in more revenue. That is where the essential ones are kept and the expendable ones… are fired. Therefore, there is no crisis for those who make themselves indispensable.

Now I ask you: becoming an indispensable employee is a decision taken by the company or the employee himself?

The truth is that leading entrepreneurs have a hard time finding talents to occupy positions that hold important responsibilities. There’s no lack of educated people, or people trying to use the company as a way to advance in their personal career, or even people willing to follow orders like a robot.

But there is a lack of leaders, people who think, who are interested in making the difference, problem-solvers who take the initiative instead of waiting to be told what to do. There are lots of vacancies for these, but a huge lack of people with such qualities to fill them.

No one has ever said that the world of business is fair. Injustice happens everywhere. The difference is between the victims of injustice who only complain about it and those who believe their potential is greater than any injustice, therefore, they’ll prevail — whether in this or the next company, or maybe even in their own.