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Do You Want to Be Good or Great at What You Do?
Just because you are good at something it doesn’t mean that you need to do that.
“Great men are not born great, they grow great . . .” ― Mario Puzo
I’ve spent my past 18 years in advertising. Working my way from the very bottom, starting at the boring and tedious stuff — and I was good at it. I was given more and more responsibility throughout the years, I learnt quickly, and I was happy to teach others — and I was good at it. I became the youngest account director at my company, leading a team of 5, then 7, then 12 — and I was really good at that too.
This article is not about how amazing I am — but whatever I did during my career, I was just really good at it. Even if I sound big-headed, which is not my intention, it is true. First I was a very good subordinate, I became an even better leader, I have always been the favourite go-to person of my clients, and my colleagues.
And there came a point when I realised it was enough.
On a September night, at 2 am I quickly typed up my resignation letter and I left it. I left it all behind, the glamour and fame of advertising, the exciting projects, the brilliant colleagues, the promise of an international move, the whole…
