The lesson for May 9th in The Maxwell Daily Reader says that just because you are not the Top Dog at your organization or on your team, it doesn’t mean you should give up on being a leader. John suggests finding out where you fit and how you can be most helpful to the team. Don’t let other people or your current situation define who you are to become.
A life-changing opportunity opened up at a company I worked for and I expressed interest in the position. I knew they already had a preferred candidate in mind, and I wasn’t surprised when that person was offered the position over me. I was one of the first people to congratulate her. Over the next two years, I volunteered my time to help her team with several programs and initiatives.
A few years later, another life-changing opportunity presented itself. This time, instead of me going after it, the head of the department walked into my office and offered me the job. They were grateful for the work and support I provided to the other team over the past couple of years. During this time, I developed a reputation for being a team player capable of producing high-quality content.
In the end, I didn’t do the extra work for the other team because I wanted to be recognized or rewarded for it, not entirely. I did it because they were working on stuff that I was interested in and that I wanted to get better at. Had I not been offered the position, I still had achieved the goal I set out to in the first place.