Career or competence?

Why many end up at the top – and still don’t make a difference—four uncomfortable truths about career paths and what needs to change in companies.

Making a career is a big goal for many people: a corner office, a company car, a glamorous title. Careers still have this glamorous reputation. It is the epitome of success. From clerk to department head, from manager to managing director. Higher and higher, further and further.

But here comes the uncomfortable truth:
Not everyone who sits in the executive suite belongs there.

A career does not automatically mean competence. And this is precisely the problem for many companies. Many managers don’t get their job because they are the best, but because they were the most persistent. Success on the career ladder does not automatically mean success as a manager.

When career is more important than ability

In many companies and organizations, there are individuals at the top who have advanced through their careers not by merit, but by tenacity, a strong network, and tactical skill.

• They know the right people.
• They say the right thing at the right time.
• And they know how to sell themselves.

But what they don’t know is how to lead.

The result? Companies full of bosses who don’t know what they’re doing. And employees who wonder how their boss got the job in the first place. How does this happen, and why is the path to the top a dead end for many?

Four uncomfortable truths about careers – and what you can learn from them

1. The career ladder is often the wrong ladder

There is often no alternative to a career. If you’re good, you have to move up, right? However, those who only ever look upwards forget a crucial question: does this position make me better, or just more important?

Specialists are promoted to managers…
…and lose the fun of their actual work.

What needs to change in companies?

• Careers must not be a climb, but a development in the right direction.
• Companies should offer alternatives to the traditional career ladder and give more money and recognition to experts who don’t want to or can’t lead.
• Everyone should ask themselves honestly: “Do I want to lead – or do I just want the title?”

2. Politics beats performance – and that’s dangerous!

Those who shine in meetings don’t necessarily have to make a difference, and those who network cleverly often end up where others never do, thanks to real performance.

The result: good people work in the background. The loudest make a career in the limelight. Innovation falls by the wayside. Companies that only reward careerists instead of promoting genuine performance destroy themselves from within.

Those who only advance their careers through tactics and networking
will be exposed at some point – at the latest when real ability is required.

What needs to change in companies?

• Performance must be made visible. Those who do the work must be promoted, not those who adorn themselves with other people’s feathers.
• No careers through bureaucracy and politics. Companies need people who lead, not manage.
• Fewer meetings, more results. The best people often don’t have time for politics because they are working.

3. Those who make a career often lose touch with the day-to-day business

Many people who climb the career ladder move away from what they were once good at. The higher the position, the further away from the day-to-day business. And that is a problem.

• The brilliant developer who, as CTO, no longer has a clue about code.
• The top salesperson who, as a sales manager, no longer has a connection to the real world.
• The CEO who hasn’t spoken to real customers for years.

Many managers make decisions about things
that they no longer have a clue about.

What needs to change in companies?

• Managers should regularly engage in day-to-day business, rather than relying solely on reports.
• Companies need to recognize that knowledge quickly becomes outdated, and that a career is no reason not to develop further.
• Success is not just a question of position – it is a question of relevance.

4. Success is not where you stand, but what you achieve

A career is not an end in itself. And yet many people chase after the following title and the subsequent pay rise without asking themselves: why?

• A CEO who only manages has no real success.
• A manager who only produces PowerPoint slides doesn’t achieve anything.
• A department head who only nods off figures is replaceable.

In the end, no one will be remembered for their business card
But for what they have achieved.

What needs to change in companies?

• Careers should be a result of competence, not internal games.
• Companies should focus more on results than on titles.
• Success should not be measured by where you are on the hierarchy ladder, but by what you achieve and accomplish.

Conclusion: Career is not the goal – competence is!

A career is not an end in itself. And it is also no guarantee of effectiveness. The best title is useless if you don’t leave a mark at the end, apart from a few presentations and approved budgets. You can only really lead if you retain your expertise, continue to develop and understand that influence does not come from power, but from trust. And through results. That’s why we need a rethink in companies and people themselves.

My years of experience in companies around the world confirm this: Not everyone has to lead. Not everyone should lead. Careers should not be a reward system that pushes people into roles that do not suit them. It should be an opportunity for development, not alienation. I am happy to help you establish such corporate cultures.

Because in the end, it’s not what’s on your door sign that counts –
But what remains when you leave the room?

Finding new paths together
Think boldly – dare to change
Alexander d’Huc