Zero to hero – and back again
This morning I re-read my 2021 leaving note (after 20 years in government) and was reminded how often I still think about the z-h-z cycle... if you are perma-hero, never zero - count your blessings!
Zero to hero – and back again (2021)
In 20 years I have had moments – even years – where I was on the way up, in the in-crowd, consigliere to a head of office, given license to use my brain and sharp tongue.
But then I crashed to earth in my next role or under a new boss – an outsider, excluded, actively not listened to. And it feels really bad. I try to not to treat others like this, but know I sometimes fail. If ever I was not ‘short term nice’, I hope that I was at least ‘longer term kind’.
I think of this as the ‘hero to zero (to hero)’ grind – DFID (RIP) could be bewilderingly unpredictable. I have worked hard to change, improve, learn. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes people still thought I was ‘B Team’ material. I had to wait it out. Being a value-driven, evidence-based adviser, with an urge to speak up, can mean playing a long game…
(Too busy to write at the moment so shamelessly recycling earlier content…)