The photo above is the monument to the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment located along the Wheatfield Road in the Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania. This soldier is keenly peering into the distance watching the approaching Confederate army and the threat they pose to his position.
This week’s post is not addressing physical, health, or economic threats that may be facing you. I’m writing about career threats.
What threatens you?
There are any number of things that can threaten your career such as:
- Your attitude including apathy, anger, and bitterness
- You may lack the necessary certifications or education to promote to the next level
- You may suffer from a failure to develop personally as a leader
These are things that you can address if you have the motivation and desire to do so.
Who threatens you?
I’m not talking about a co-worker lurking in the shadows who is waiting to jump out and stick a 12” knife into your chest. I’m referring to a co-worker or supervisor who is a threat to your career because you are a threat to them, and they are waiting to shove a metaphorical knife into your back when you least expect it.
These are difficult situations to face and correct because they involve emotions and behaviors.
Why are you a threat?
You may have a co-worker or supervisor who views you as a threat because:
- You possess training and education they don’t have
- You have skills and experience they don’t have
- You may be promoted before them
Individuals who view you as a threat lack integrity, they are unethical, and they are insecure. In my book The Furnace of Leadership Development I wrote, “People want to be led by those who are secure and not threatened by subordinates.”1 When a supervisor or co-worker is threatened by someone around them, a toxic environment is birthed, and teamwork is negatively impacted.
Which person are you?
Are you threatened by your co-workers and subordinates or are you the person staring down the barrel of the rifle because your co-worker or supervisor feels threatened by you? Only you know the answer to that question.
1Rick Davis, The Furnace of Leadership Development, (Loveland, CO: Java House Publishing, 2019), 145
