I recently had a conversation about leadership with the owner of what I would call a big, small company. He employs about 800 people, so not a small company but not really a big one either.
Anyway, we were talking about what type of person he generally tries to employ. He said he only hires people who want to be leaders. He went on to explain that having the opportunity to lead others, and not taking advantage of it, is a terrible waste. It shows laziness on the part of the person. He doesn’t want lazy people on his payroll.
He said it also shows an extreme level of selfishness, and he won’t have selfishness messing with the culture of his company. I assured him that his thoughts were understandable. I then also assured him that those same thoughts were, while understandable, also very wrong.
Not everyone is cut out to lead. Not everyone needs to lead to be successful. Organizations need individual contributors every bit as much as they need leaders. Hiring only people who aspire to positions of leadership is a recipe for organizational failure.
If you’re one of the many people who do not aspire to a position of leadership, don’t let others try to tell you that you’re wrong. Don’t let them make you feel that somehow you are “less” than those who do aspire to a leadership role.
You should know, without a doubt, that it is completely okay not to aspire to a leadership position. Here’s exactly why that is true.
1. Personal Fulfillment: Not everyone finds fulfillment in leading others. Some people derive more satisfaction from roles that allow them to focus on their specific skills, passions, or areas of expertise. Leadership often requires a shift away from hands-on work to more strategic tasks. Those tasks might not align with what makes someone happy or motivated.
2. Work-Life Balance: Leadership positions often come with increased responsibility. This can lead to longer hours, more stress, and a greater impact on one’s personal life. For some, the trade-off between career advancement and maintaining a healthy work-life balance isn’t worth it.
3. Different Career Goals: Career success looks different for everyone. Some people may value mastering a craft, contributing to meaningful projects, or working in a supportive team environment over climbing the corporate ladder. Success doesn’t have to mean being in charge.
4. Comfort with Current Role: Many people are content and fulfilled in their current roles. They might enjoy the work they do, feel appreciated, and see no need to take on additional responsibilities. If someone is happy where they are, there’s no need to pursue a leadership position just because it’s the traditional path to advancement.
5. Leadership Isn’t for Everyone: Leadership requires a specific skill set. These skills include decision-making under pressure, managing diverse personalities, and navigating organizational politics. Not everyone has an interest in developing these skills, and that’s perfectly fine. Recognizing one’s strengths and preferences is crucial in building a satisfying career.
6. Contribution in Other Ways: You can make significant contributions to an organization or cause without being in a leadership role. Many people are the backbone of their teams. They provide critical support, innovation, and expertise. They work drives success from behind the scenes.
7. Contentment and Satisfaction: Some individuals might feel content and satisfied with their current position and responsibilities. They may prefer stability and predictability over the challenges and uncertainties that often come with leadership roles.
It’s important to remember that everyone’s career journey is unique. What matters most is finding a path that aligns with your values, needs, and aspirations. Leadership is one way to have a meaningful and successful career. But it is far far from the only way.
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There’s a lot we could discuss on this topic! There’s only 38 of us in my full-time fire department, with 10 being officers. Not everyone I hire can be promotable. As I like to say, sometimes I need to hire some knuckle-draggers who will never promote. Otherwise, an organization full of promotable people with too few formal leadership positions leads to discontent and turnover.
However, I tell every new recruit that we expect leadership from them day 1: they can set the example in the way they carry themselves, their work ethic, their interactions with others (colleagues and the public), their professional development regimen, and the way they carry out assigned tasks. Set the example, raise the standard, be an informal leader. I encourage them to find something in our work that really interests them and to become the department expert on it.
It is a shame though, when a formal leadership position opens and the most obvious choice passes on it. In those instances, we sometimes have to raise up someone less suited for the position and grow them along the way. I have a quirky fellow (highly committed to the job) who we had to elevate sooner than we wanted to, due to nobody else stepping up. We’ve poured a lot of development into him and he’s finally doing the job fairly well; but, he’ll likely never be great at it. (I am proud of the leader he has become regardless).
Hi Marc, you make a great point about the discontent and turnover. You want everyone to be promotable but that’s a twin edged sword. I do my best to not think of it as a “shame” when someone highly qualified doesn’t go after a leadership position (although it’s hard to think that way cause it is a shame) because if they are an engaged and committed member of the organization that’s a huge plus too.
That’s just part of what makes leadership so fulfilling; there’s always a new challenge around the corner. And thanks for your continued support, I do appreciate it.