Make yourself dispensable.
Many of us in the early part of our careers seek to make ourselves indispensable so that we will be safe. At one of my early jobs, I had written 90% of the code in use, so I could speak up on issues facing the company (including calling out the CEO) in a way that others could not.
But being indispensable comes at a cost. It means not being able to go on an extended vacation. It means that you don’t get a chance to grow and learn because you are fully loaded with the work you already are doing. It often means working so hard that you burn out.
One of my mentors had a different approach, where he was always trying to work himself out of his job. He trained and coached others to do what he was currently doing, so he could leave and go tackle a bigger challenge. He had the confidence that he could figure out what was next, so he was willing to let go of the work he already had.
People ask how they can earn more scope and have more impact. It’s not about working harder and doing more. The secret is letting go of what you’re already doing, so that you have the capacity and attention to tackle something bigger and new.
So unless you want to keep doing your current job for the rest of your career, make yourself dispensable. Train and coach other people to do what you do, so that you can go do something else.
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