where success often speaks of prestige, acceptance, and/or additional compensation, the ‘you can be anything you want to be’ mantra often drives us to seek positions or attempt career paths where ‘success’ or ‘competency’ may never be achieved.
unfortunately, even in most organizations, the structure is such that if one wants additional income, ‘status’ or significance, or even more responsibility, we are often forced to reach for much different roles than those that match our talents and abilities. many fall into this trap. although successful in our prior position, we fail in this new ‘sought after’ roles because we did not have the abilities necessary for success.
our talents and abilities may enable us to be a great corporate leader or a motivational speaker who influences millions . . . or . . . they may lead us to be the best ‘ditch-digger’ that ever lived. the role, title, or even the compensation should not be the driving factor. maybe the mantra should actually be ‘you cannot be anything you want to be but you can be the best at who you already are.’