The higher you go up the ladder, the better the perks are but who do they actually belong to; the person in the role or the role itself?
Have you ever had the misfortune to work for an entitled boss?
You know the one; they expect a minion to make coffee for them, they expect to be left the closest parking place, they expect their requests to be made a priority regardless of whether others are more important to the business – basically, they way they see it is that they’re the boss, they earn the big dough and they have the fancy office so what they say goes….simple.
But when that boss loses their job for whatever reason, nobody’s rushing to give condolences or offer support and the perks are now someone else’s which is the point of the blog.
Simon Sinek has been telling a story for several years that he describes as his favourite to tell. Someone he knew was once a high flying official who flew into a city for an event and, whilst there, was waited on hand and foot. Fast forward a few years, the official had moved onto another role, went back to the same event and, as he wasn’t a boss anymore, experienced the exact opposite in terms of the hospitality.
That made him understand that the perks of being the boss came with the role and he quite rightly enjoyed them but lost sight of being grateful for them; he let himself become accustomed to them and that led to him expecting to be treated in a particular way by everyone regardless of whether they worked with/for him or not!
When in a position of authority, many things will change. For example, you will be treated differently, you’ll earn more money & doors previously shut to you will be open. Enjoy them whilst you have them BUT don’t lose sight of the fact that these perks come with the role and aren’t yours to own forever.
Your predecessors had them & your successors will have them too – it means they don’t make any of you more special than the other.
How you’re different to the others is for you to decide.
