Sometimes it is hard to know, but knowing is essential

“The two most important requirements for major success are: first, being in the right place at the right time, and second, doing something about it.”

— Ray Kroc

Most people are not where they should be. They usually arrive where they are by drifting and going with the flow. They take the path of least resistance. And that path of least resistance seems easy and pain free.

But sometimes that path of least resistance leads you to the wrong spot.

The problem with being in the wrong spot is that often you do not know you’re in a tough place until it’s too late.

. . .

The Call That Broke My Heart

“If you chase security instead of opportunity, you will find neither.”

I recently received a call from an old friend of mine. He actually replaced me in my job after I left to attend law school.

He wanted to talk.

He had just been laid off.

I was shocked. He did nearly the same job that I performed nearly a decade earlier.

If I had stayed — and not gone to law school — this could easily have been me.

My friend told me something that is still affecting me:

You left at just the right time. I should have left before this happened.

My heart was broken for my friend, but I knew that he also had a great opportunity to reinvent himself.

Still, my mind keeps racing with questions.

• What could my friend have done to prevent being laid off?

• Are there signs that you can look for to know if you are in the wrong spot?

• Can you do anything to prevent moments like this?

• What can I do right now to make sure I do not have to suffer a similar setback?

Below are some of the signs that I have noticed that seem to appear when someone is in the wrong spot. I have noticed them all in my own life — and most (sadly, not all) of the time I have acted before it is too late.

If you notice any of the situations below, you might need to make a change.

. . .

What Are You Learning?

“Work to learn, not to earn”.

— Robert Kiyosaki

Most people believe that school is where you learn and a job is where you make money.

But if you pick the right job, you can learn more from that job than you could ever learn anywhere else.

When I was in law school, many students needed money and looked for jobs to help pay bills. All sorts of jobs were available — and most had nothing to do with the law or anything else. But my fellow students needed money so they took what they found.

My attitude was a little different. I certainly needed to make some money. But I looked at every job as a part of my education. I treated each job as a way to learn something that I could not learn in law school.

Did I need money? Yes, of course. My wife was working and supporting both of us at the time. We certainly could have used some more money.

Taking any job would provide short-term money — but not necessarily lead to long-term success.

I decided to look for positions where I could develop skills and connections — jobs where I could learn.

My first position in law school was interning for a state representative. I reached out and offered to do any work that was available, but I also stated that I was a law student and would love to do something more substantive than answering phones. I ended up doing research on issues that the representative did not have time to learn about.

And I volunteered — no pay!

How did this turn out?

This state representative actually became the Lieutenant Governor. I had an incredible experience working for someone, and without even trying, I had an amazing experience to put on my resume.

If you are not learning something, you may be in the wrong spot. Pay may not matter. It is all about what you learn.

• Are you learning a useful skill?

• Are you connecting with people who could help your career?

• Are you only earning money, and nothing else?

First, work to learn, not to earn. Once you learn, you will earn as much as you want.

. . .

Is there a Vision?

“Dissatisfaction and discouragement are not caused by the absence of things but the absence of vision. ”

Without a vision of where an organization is headed

Businesses must make money — or they will not be in business very long.

If your organization does not have a vision — one for the entire organization — then you might be in the wrong spot.

Even then, there might be a vision for the overall organization, but you should also understand how you fit into that vision. If you do not understand your place in the vision, then you also might be in the right spot.

But wait.

If there is no vision — either overall or for your place in the organization — there might be another option.

You might be able to supply the vision — either overall or for your specific role. Before abandoning your place, make sure you determine if you there is a leadership gap that you could fill.

Sometimes, the organization needs someone like you who can articulate a powerful vision.

. . .

Is There Opportunity to Grow?

“The great solution to all human problems is individual inner transformation.”

— Vernon Howard

All fruit is either ripening or rotting. There is no middle ground.

In any situation there are only two paths: growth or recession. You are either getting better or getting worse.

The same is true for a job or any position in an organization.

In this global economy — and in this fast-changing world that we live in — it is easy to get passed over or for things to change before we even have a chance to realize what happened.

If you see or have an opportunity where you do not grow at all — personally, professionally, or otherwise — then you need to stop and evaluate whether you are in the right spot. You might need to make a change.

. . .

Leadership Is Everything

“If you are employed, and your boss just doesn’t care, either go after his or her job or go looking for another company.”

— John McCormack

One of my favorite bosses told me something that I will never forget.

“Everybody has a boss.”

He was an Army Ranger. He was intense. And he always had a great sense of how to lead people.

Everybody has a boss means that we all are accountable to someone. No one on a team can avoid responsibility.

Most people who like their job like it for one reason: they have a good boss.

The quality of any job is determined by the quality of the person who you report to.

If you do not like your job, then it is likely that you do not like your boss.

Even if you own your own business, someone is still in a “boss”-type role — and if you don’t like them, then your life is usually miserable. It could be a client or even a large customer.

If you serve as a volunteer, the same is true: the quality of the experience is determined by the quality of your supervisor.

And importantly, a boss or supervisor can change overnight. I have experienced multiple supervisor changes — some have been incredible, but others have been painful.

The quality of the leader in an organization can either keep us around or push us away. With a great boss, your life can be amazing. With a mediocre one, your life can be miserable.

Personally, I cannot remain too long in a position where there is a void of leadership.

Poor leaders are everywhere — look for them.

A great leader is rare — and when you find one, it can change your life.

. . .

Are You Surrounded by the Best in the World?

“My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.”

— Henry Ford

When I was finishing law school and looking for a job, I had one goal.

Many of my fellow students were looking for jobs in practice areas that they had an interest in. Others planned to start their own practices right out of school. Others just wanted to find a job — any job.

But my goal was different.

I realized that my first position out of law school was a sort of apprenticeship, where my aim was to learn how to be the best lawyer possible instead of just looking for a way to make money.

I certainly needed the money. My wife and I were living on her salary for three years. And we had two children during those three years.

But it was not about the money.

I had quite a few different opportunities after I graduated. I had to make some tough choices.

Ultimately, my one goal determined where I would go.

• I did not plan to go to the place where I could make the most money right away.

• I did not plan to go to the place where I would have the most free time right away.

• I did not go to the place that would allow me to practice in the area that I was most interested in right away.

My one goal was to be around the best attorneys possible so that I would be forced to become the best attorney that I could be.

From my previous life experiences, I realized that I needed to be around the best in order to become the best. There is no other way to become superior at a craft.

If I focused on my own preferences too early, then I would miss the chance — possibly once-in-a-lifetime chance — to be surrounded by excellence.

If you are not surrounded by excellence, then you might be in the wrong spot.

. . .

Ethics and Morality

“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”

— Abraham Lincoln

“In matters of principle, compromise is overrated.”

“People don’t deny principles by being overtly evil. They deny principles by being pragmatic.”

This one is simple.

If you have to compromise your ethics or moral code in order to perform your role, you are in the wrong spot.

I will not tell you what to believe or how to think, but if your morality is at stake, there is no job, role, or amount of money that will make a difference.

Never put a price tag on your character. As my friend Jerome Vierling says, “If you have a price tag on your character, it’s over.”

If you have to compromise your ethics or morality, you are in the wrong spot.

. . .

Attitudes

“An attitude of positive expectation is the mark of the superior personality.”

— Brian Tracy

Most people like to believe that they are the masters of their own fate. The like to believe that they can control their own destiny. They can control who they become and how their life turns out.

While this may be true to an extent, it is also true that our environment affects us more than we think.

And specifically, the attitudes of the people around us will eventually become our attitudes. We will begin to adopt the attitudes of the people that we spend the most time with. And from my experience, usually we will change to become like the others around us more than vice versa.

Here’s an example that I will never forget — it should have been an early indicator that I was in the wrong spot. But I was not paying attention at the time.

Years ago, I walked into my boss’s office. I was working on a project, and I wanted some direction from him.

As I always do, I asked him if he had a few minutes to discuss the project. He said, “Sure,” but then he followed up with the statement that should have triggered something in me.

“…Just paying the bills…”

Immediately, I thought he was actually paying his bills online or writing checks to pay his mortgage or utilities in his office.

But after a few moments, and after I did not see any checks or evidence that he was “actually paying bills,” I realized that he was just using one of those phrases that people use: paying the bills, trying to survive, getting through the day, etc.

My boss’s phrase did not even register with me at first because I was so passionate about what I was doing. I was not at that job for money. I could definitely have made more money elsewhere. I wanted to learn, and more importantly, I really believe that we were changing people’s lives with what we were doing.

My boss’s “paying the bills” statement should have been a sign that I was in the wrong spot. But it took me a few years, and some pain and heartache, to figure it out.

If your boss’s attitude is not the attitude that you want to have, you may be in the wrong spot. Now this does not mean that you have change organizations — you might just need a different boss.

But it is a sign. Something may be off. You might want to look at the whole picture to see if you really are where you are supposed to be.

Now, I look for enthusiasm, joy, passion, and excitement. I look for people who have attitudes that I want to have, or I would want my children to have.

If you are not surrounded by people with the attitudes that you want to have, you may be in the wrong spot.

. . .

Strengths and Weaknesses

“If you are not in a role that plays to or magnifies your strengths, you are probably in the wrong spot.”

— from The 12 Week Year, by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington

This one is tricky.

Early in my career, I did not know what my strengths and weaknesses were. I was probably mediocre at best in most areas.

However, as I gained useful skills, I have developed certain strengths and also identified specific weaknesses.

At some point, the best use of our time is to make sure that we are using our strengths to their full potential. We can actually build teams based on each team member’s individual strengths.

As I gain more experience and skills, I now know that the best use of my time — and the best place for me to be — is for me to use my strengths as much as possible.

Here’s another way to think about it in a professional context: if the compensation plan is not geared toward rewarding me for my strengths, then I might be in the wrong spot.

. . .

False Indicators

“When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.”

— Lolly Daskal

Most people are in the wrong spot at some point in their lives. And this does not necessarily mean that we made a mistake or that we have fault. It only means that it may be time to move to a different spot — time to move on.

But many times we might think that we are in the wrong spot — but we are absolutely wrong. Sometimes there are false indicators that can trick us into making a change when that might not necessarily be true.

These false indicators may mean something is off, but they also are many times necessary steps to move forward. Here are some false indicators that I’ve experienced.

• It is hard. Anything worth doing is going to be hard at some point. Just because something is a challenge does not mean that you should not do it. And just because someone asks you (or tells you) to do hard things does not mean that you should stop doing it. Doing hard things makes us better and develops us in ways that would not occur otherwise.

• No praise or encouragement. Some people need praise. And if they don’t get the encouragement they need, they quit. However, the need for praise can often come from our own ego. Here’s the truth: if you are not good at something, you probably will not be praised for it. I have worked in places where the standard is so high that when praise is given, you know that it is well-deserved. Praise may be sparse, but it also serves as a great indicator that you are meeting a high standard.

• Low pay. Sometimes the amount that you are getting paid is the worst indicator you can use. You should measure a position by what you learn — not what you earn. Because you learn enough, you can earn whatever you want. Many times the highest paid people get laid off first. There are many highly-paid people who are miserable. Many amazing positions and experiences start off with low pay or even no pay. One high-profile entrepreneur that I know intentionally pays a low amount — to start. But when trust is built he offers equity in a new venture — which, of course, leads to a lucrative position. Do not automatically think that low pay means that you are in the wrong spot.

• You are not passionate about your role. I used to believe the words “follow your bliss” contained the most insightful advice I have ever heard. I still believe that you should “follow your bliss,” but I have noticed too many people trying to follow their passion without actually developing useful skills — skills that actually help people. Skills that people would pay handsomely for. Cal Newport addresses this concept perfectly in his book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You. I love movies and telling stories. I tried for ten years to develop that passion. But it was not until I went to law school and developed the legal skills necessary to help artists, musicians, and filmmakers that I was actually able to capitalize on my own passions. Passion is good, but a lack of passion should not be an indicator that you need to change.

Watch out for false indicators. You may already be in an incredible spot, but not even know it.

Don’t be misled.

. . .

The Decision

“If life you will come across a great chasm. Jump. It is not as wide as you think.”

— Joseph Campbell

Realizing that you are in the wrong spot is the first step.

Doing something about it is just as important.

You might need to do something:

• If everyone is undervaluing you.

• If everyone you meet wastes your time.

• If you keep waiting and waiting for your boss to promote you.

• If you are waiting for someone to tell you that you are great.

• If you are not learning.

• If there is no vision.

• If there is no opportunity to grow.

• If you are surrounded by poor leadership.

• If no one around you is aiming for excellence.

• If your ethics or moral code is compromised.

• If you do not like the attitudes of the people around you.

• If you are not using your greatest strengths.

You need to look at your situation. Often, we dwell in the wrong spot for too long. Above the signs that I have noticed. Let me know if you have experienced any others.

I have been in the spot many times. You probably have, too.

If you are in the wrong spot now, don’t panic.

Pause.

Reflect.

Think.

Jump.

Or stay there.

It’s up to you.

. . .

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