The Importance of Being Myself: Why Titles Don’t Make the Employee

Why does it still surprise people that their title doesn’t garner as much respect and following as how they treat people? And Why do we keep pushing a narrative that Title == Value?

If you were given the title of Manager, it doesn’t make you a leader. You can be a first time Sales person, and ALSO be a leader. Your value is earned by what you do, and what you say to others; but never by your title. If you work hard and get a promotion, that doesn’t equate your value, what you did to get there does, and what you do from that point forward will show whether that choice was right.

The importance of a role connected to leadership, is all about highlighting and releasing what your employees innately have inside them that common business practice, and work environments force into the background.

So here are a few truths about you, and me, and all of us if we look for the value of each employee and increase each others merits.

• Never seek to assign a value to an employee, instead seek to grow their value
• Your most precious commodity isn’t the product you sell or the money in your pocket; its having a shared vision, care for your customers, the right employees, and the intelligence to get out of their way .
• Care how well your leadership listens, and how willing they are to be transparent when asked hard questions by “everyday employees”.
• Title’s are not transferable. An Support technician at one company could be a great director at another, and an Executive VP at a fortune 500 company may not be a good fit as an Operations Manager in a startup.
• How you collaborate, motivate, support, and empathize with your teammates moves your career progression further than how smart, or ruthless, or driven you are.
• Take risks in your career, but don’t put your co-workers at risk.

I put 6 up there. Any others you care to add? Leave them in the comments.