In Charge

We tell ourselves:

If only leadership got it. If only the client understood. If only we had the budget, or the team, or the time. If only the axioms were a little more flexible, if only the timeline had buffer, if only the policy had been written by someone who was a partial nincompoop instead of the full meal deal. 

We start our lives with very little power, looking up to the people one step of the ladder as having autonomy—then we get there and find out they’re just servants to bigger fishes in bigger ponds.

Never being fully in charge is one of the consequences of doing work in the real world. Which means two things:

First, that when we’re in power, we should turn around and see how to make things better for the people who have to put up with us.

Second, we should get to work.

Thank you. Let’s have a great day.