Position Envy

I think at some point in our life we are all guilty of this. I mean who hasn’t dreamed of being the Team Captain, the shift manager, or top executive? How many times have you or someone you knew said something along the lines of “I could do that job so much better than so and so”. This is a condition that I call “Position Envy” and if it carry’s on past adolescence, it says a great deal about the individual experiencing it.

You see everyone that suffers from “Position Envy” just cant wait to be in charge so they can tell others what to do! I mean being the leader would be great! No more listening to anyone else, no more doing the crappy jobs that no one wants to do, no more working long hours, the rewards go on and on.

I mean once they get that title, rank, or that position they have coveted for so long, they believe they instantaneously became superior to everyone around them! Everyone will bow down and do their bidding. All will be right in the world. The whole time they are secretly waiting for conflict so that they can throw their new title around. They will be quick to ask the offender; “Don’t you know who I am? Don’t you know my rank? How dare you challenge me?

What these individuals fail to realize, is that while the mantle of leadership can be bestowed upon any man or woman, the respect of those under you can not be passed on so easily. Positions do not build teams, they don’t solve problems, and they cant ensure success. Only leaders can do that, and leaders inherently understand that they don’t require a position or a title to affect change and exert influence in their lives or organization. Thats why leaders don’t suffer from “Position envy”.

It is not a bad thing to want to want to become a leader or to get better at leading. The first rule that we must understand however is that essential building block of leadership is a desire for service, not glory. Therefore individuals who are obsessed with position, will always fail to either attain that position, or be successful long term once they do. The main driving force behind “position envy” is arrogance and ego. Those traits can not long sustain any leader, regardless of how great the organization’s mission statement is.

Arrogance and ego are the bane of all successful organizations. Success is never accomplished by any one individual alone. Someone who has “position envy” simply doesn’t get that. If they did they’d spend their time focused on the success of the collective rather than the status they hold within it.
Just the ramblings of an ol’ infantry dude.