07 Sep Earn Your Termination

Corporate America is infested with the kind of employees who think about losing their job more than actually doing their job. It’s an epidemic that has the potential to rot an organization from the inside out. Some of the best decisions never get executed, or even heard, because of this debilitating paranoia.

Fearing termination is the fastest way to get undervalued. Sure, you’ll cause less trouble, but you’ll also cause less everything. Sooner or later your desire to not get noticed will undoubtedly get you noticed—and not in the way you want.

If you want to find the gold, you’re going to have to accept a pan full of gravel every now and then. And don’t worry about what your boss thinks. If your leadership is any good, your supervisor will recognize your efforts and appreciate your tenacity. And well, if your leadership isn’t, maybe it’s not the place you want to be in the first place.

If you really want to make a difference in your organization, if you really want to do something groundbreaking, imagine that you’re tenured and start shaking things up. If you’re gonna get fired, you damn well better earn it.