A promotion should cause you to change
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“They’ve really changed since they got that promotion”. I’m sure you’ve heard those words spoken around the office. I certainly have. Maybe you have even said it yourself. When we say that, we usually don’t mean change as in good, healthy personal growth. We usually mean we no longer like the way that person behaves at work.
This begs an important question: Should a step up at work cause you to change? The answer is obvious but complex. Yes, of course career growth should be a catalyst for personal change. A new position brings new challenges and opportunities that often require you to develop and employ new skills and understanding.
A step up also typically gives you a new perspective. Seeing things from a different angle can change the way you think and feel about those things. And when those new ways of thinking and feeling begin to sink in, guess what. It changes you.
I could argue that you will only flourish in a new role if you adapt to it. In other words, saying that someone who has taken on greater responsibility has changed should be a compliment not an inditement.
Now I know what you are thinking: “But they’ve become so unfriendly, high and mighty, arrogant etc.” In this you would be justified. Career growth should be a catalyst for personal growth and leadership development. Developing a chip on your shoulder is not the kind of change I was talking about earlier.
But I will say this from personal experience: Be careful not to judge someone in a new role too harshly or too quickly. What looks like arrogance or a newfound sharp edge can be rooted in a sense of frustration or from feeling overwhelmed. The new behavior may be just a cover for stock standard imposter syndrome. Before you write someone off, give them a little bit of time for their personal growth engine to catch up to the demands of their new role. As much as leadership development is critical, it also takes time.
Speaking of personal growth. This article would be incomplete if I failed to point out that you don’t need a new title or a promotion before you grow. If you have a growth mindset and a bias toward action, then you will be putting yourself in situations that demand growth on a regular basis. This approach to life is essentially a way of giving yourself regular promotions!
Remember this: You don’t need other people’s permission to grow and learn. It’s especially important in a corporate world ruled by the rhythms of reporting lines and performance appraisals. I’ll put it another way: You don’t need someone else’s permission to be awesome. You’re not just working for your boss, you’re working principally for yourself. Don’t always be waiting. Go out there, show up and do your thing!