Balancing ambition and capabilities

I ve seen many leaders talking about this -

"Grow until you are comfortable growing and until you are delivering to the level you are in, handsomely".

But, at least in corporate India, I ve not seen that happening.

People think growing in ranks is a birth right, and a function of doing the job OK, and spending required amount of time in a level.

Then there comes a phase where, ambitions start running high, right around that pre-conceived, peer-defined time period is about to elapse.

That definitely causes a lot of pain.

Over the last few years, India's corporate culture has evolved and now a new variable has been added at senior management level.

That is - beating expectation of your current role and having spent enough time baking in that level are not enough. There has to be a true organizational opportunity to accommodate a person at the next level.

In other words, have you created a position for that next level, where you want to grow in to ?

Valid addition !

With that as a back ground, I was pleasantly surprised today. I went to one of my mid-managers, and offered him and fabulous opportunity, asked him to treat this one as a ticket to grow in to sr. management. And this person is at the top of the stack already in his peer group. So, it was a slam dunk for me to offer him the new opportunity that came along.

To my surprise, the person showed amazing maturity in saying - " I ll do it. I ll do it well, irrespective of it being a ticket. But DO NOT grow me, if I wont fit in there. Do not grow me, if I get in to a level, where expectations out of me are going to be ahead of my capabilities. And that makes me uncomfortable. I would rather be the best mid-manager than the average sr. manager."

Is the next wave of maturity firming up in corporate India now ??