The Career Lesson That Could Save Your Job
Dear Jonathan,
You wrote to me last week from your new office in Bulawayo. You are 25 years old, fresh from university with your degree in hand and fire in your belly. You landed your first real job 6 months ago at a reputable company, and you are eager to prove yourself. You stay late, volunteer for extra projects, and consistently deliver work that impresses everyone—except, it seems, your direct supervisor.
Jonathan, let me share with you one of the most important career lessons you will ever learn—one that universities do not teach but which will determine whether you thrive or merely survive in the corporate world.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Office Politics
You thought that working hard and delivering excellent results would automatically lead to recognition, promotions, and career advancement. You believed that merit alone would carry you forward. This thinking is not wrong—it is simply incomplete.
The reality is that your relationship with your immediate boss matters more than your relationship with the CEO, more than your technical skills, and often more than your actual results. Your boss controls your daily experience, your performance reviews, your project assignments, and ultimately, your career trajectory within that organization.
Why Your Boss Feels Threatened
Here is what you need to understand: when you consistently outperform expectations, especially in ways that draw attention from senior management, you can inadvertently make your boss look incompetent. This is particularly dangerous if your boss is insecure, struggling with their own performance, or feels their position is not secure.
Think about it from their perspective. They hired you as a junior employee, expecting to guide and mentor someone who would make them look good. Instead, you are receiving praise that they feel should be directed at them. Senior management is noticing your work, asking questions about projects you have handled, and perhaps even bypassing your boss to speak directly with you.
Your excellence is not the problem—the problem is how it is being perceived and positioned within the office hierarchy.
The Subtle Signs You Are Making This Mistake
You might be outshining your master without realizing it. Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?
Senior management frequently asks for your input in meetings while your boss sits silently. You receive direct emails from executives about projects, with your boss copied rather than addressed directly. Colleagues start coming to you with questions they would normally take to your supervisor. You find yourself presenting work that your boss should be presenting.
Your boss has started giving you less challenging assignments or excluding you from important meetings. They take credit for your ideas in front of others. They become defensive when your work is praised. They start micromanaging you after previously giving you freedom.
These are warning signs that the dynamic has shifted in a dangerous direction.
The Art of Strategic Excellence
This does not mean you should become mediocre or stop doing excellent work. Instead, learn the art of strategic excellence—delivering outstanding results while ensuring your boss receives appropriate credit and recognition.
Always present your achievements as team victories rather than personal triumphs. When senior management praises your work, redirect the credit: “Thank you, but this was really possible because of the guidance and support from my supervisor.” Make your boss look good in front of their superiors by highlighting their leadership and mentorship.
Before implementing any innovative ideas, discuss them with your boss first. Let them present the ideas to senior management if appropriate, or at minimum, ensure they are positioned as collaborative efforts. Keep your boss informed about all your activities, especially those that involve interaction with senior management or other departments.
Building Your Boss Into Your Success
The most successful young professionals understand that their job is not just to excel individually—it is to make their boss successful. When your boss succeeds, you succeed. When your boss looks good, you look good by association.
Ask your boss how you can better support their objectives. Volunteer to handle tasks that will free them up for higher-level work. Become their trusted right hand, the person they can rely on to execute their vision flawlessly.
This approach accomplishes two things: it builds a strong, supportive relationship with the person who has the most influence over your immediate career, and it demonstrates the kind of leadership and team-building skills that will serve you well as you advance.
When to Shine and When to Step Back
Learn to read the room and understand when it is appropriate to showcase your talents and when it is better to work behind the scenes. In meetings with senior management where your boss is present, support their leadership rather than trying to demonstrate your own expertise.
Save your individual brilliance for moments when it will not create conflict—perhaps in one-on-one meetings with your boss, or in situations where you can clearly position your contributions as supporting their agenda.
Remember, your goal is not to remain invisible—it is to be strategically visible in ways that build relationships rather than creating enemies.
The Long-Term Career Strategy
This approach is not about limiting your potential—it is about maximizing it intelligently. The professionals who advance fastest are those who understand how to navigate organizational dynamics while delivering exceptional work.
As you build trust and a strong working relationship with your boss, they will naturally begin to advocate for you, recommend you for challenging projects, and support your career advancement. They become your champion rather than your obstacle.
Eventually, as you advance in your career, you will become the boss. The skills you learn now about managing relationships, understanding office politics, and building others up while achieving your own goals will serve you well as a leader.
The Wisdom of Patience
I know this advice might frustrate you. You want to be recognized for your talents, and you deserve to be. But career success is not a sprint—it is a marathon. The relationships you build today will influence your opportunities for years to come.
Play the long game. Build your reputation as someone who is both excellent and easy to work with. Become known as a team player who elevates everyone around them. This reputation will carry you much further than being known as someone who is brilliant but difficult to manage.
Your Choice Moving Forward
Jonathan, you have two paths ahead of you. You can continue trying to prove yourself through individual excellence, potentially creating conflict with your boss and limiting your career growth within this organization. Or you can learn to channel your talents in ways that build relationships and create allies.
The choice you make now will influence not just your current job, but your entire career trajectory. Choose wisely.
Remember: the goal is not to dim your light, it is to ensure that when you shine, you illuminate the entire team.
Wishing you wisdom and strategic success,
ZimLedger Admin
ZimLedger
ZimLedger is the all in one business and finance platform for Zimbabwe. It generates quotes, invoices, payslips and financial statements, manages business ledgers, tracks income and expenses, and builds shopping lists. ZimLedger offers a simple yet powerful solution tailored to local needs. Whether you are budgeting in ZiG or USD, managing business accounts, converting Ecocash statements, or tracking household expenses, ZimLedger empowers you to stay organised, make informed financial decisions, and grow your wealth—right from your phone or computer.
