What or Who

People get confused.

People that work hard, accomplish objectives, contribute to the team's growth and make considerable professional growth regarding individual performance, should be considered for positions of greater responsibility. The problem is, that sometimes they are considered and then selected to move up the organizational ladder only to experience a metamorphosis almost overnight. Dr Jekyll meet Mr. Hyde.

One day they are great team-players and exceptional producers, the next day they are unreasonable, harsh, abrasive, rude and offensive monsters now in a position of greater authority. They become reckless and tyrannical. They turn into a "hammer" and in this new existence everything looks like a nail! Once the promotion sets-in, they begin to believe they are now defined by WHAT they are and totally forgot WHO they are. Their character suddenly took a nose dive into the abyss of; "I'm in over my head and I fully plan to blame everyone but me if things don't go well; I am no longer Mr. Nice Guy."

Instead of relying on their successes that put them in the spotlight of consideration for greater things, they begin to think they have reached a position that somehow separates them from the very people that helped to make them successful in the first place. They get so enamored with a new title on the door of their new office (literal or figurative office) that they forget that it was outside that new office where they fought the battles and won. They were not fighting alone but now that they have the title, they rush to separate themselves by modifying their demeanor and behavior for the worse. Relationships that were recently highly valued are now compromised to justify the "new-authority" and make their mark. They are surely enough making a mark, but it is often the kind that leaves permanent scars.

This is so very wrong. People that become dazed by the bright lights of assigned greater authority are living a lie.  Confusion sets in and the outcomes of their actions become tragically uncertain.

The transformation from one level of authority to a higher level should be rather uneventful and should absolutely not change anyone from WHO they are into WHAT they are. People that are promoted are not suddenly more important than everyone else, they simply have a different assignment. Leadership is a privilege and should be treasured as such. All leaders are only only as good as the people they surround themselves with. Treat your employees right and they will treat your customers right and you win along with everyone else. If you are fortunate enough to be promoted, don't forget how you got there and the many people that helped to make it possible. After all it is WHO you are that they treasure most, not WHAT you are.