Fans, Not a Sponsor

Everyone likes the Understudy’s work. Her boss praises it in one-on-ones. Her peers copy her on the hard problems. Leadership calls her solid.

Then the calibration meeting happens, in a room she is not in, and nobody says her name. Not because anyone doubts her. Because liking someone’s work and spending capital on them are 2 different acts, and only one of them happens in that room.

Applause is not advocacy. The Understudy has plenty of fans and no sponsor. The move

is to find the people who would say her name when it costs them something, and start there.

Tomorrow: the Understudy from another angle.

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The Right Altitude. Available now. therightaltitudebook.com