We Are All Just Soldiers

But some people just don’t grasp what’s important.

Many people approach work reactively—they do whatever comes to hand. In other words, they lack a sense of priority.

The truth is, when you send over a request, that’s your prerogative. But whether I take it on, and when, is up to me to prioritize.

Even if ten things are on my plate, in any given moment I can realistically only do one. Which one? The one that actually moves the needle for me.

Typically, I’d bring all ten to my direct manager, and they decide which has the highest priority. That’s the one. They hold the keys to my performance review, and the boss can always cut the line.

Beyond work, there’s another question: who does a manager bring along to meet with senior leadership? Only one type of person—someone who looks beyond their own tasks, pays attention to projects, company shifts, and industry trends, and stays alert at all times. What kind of person does a manager want? Someone who can help them climb higher. Only when they move up can they move you up. And the moment you become indifferent to everything around you, your path forward is already blocked.