4 reasons why gifted people cannot fall in line

4 reasons why gifted people do not progress in their careers

Some years ago now, I wrote the blog post 4 reasons why gifted people do not progress in their careers. A large number of gifted people recognised themselves in this – and were able to tick all 4 reasons:

1. You are not playing the game
2. You are too honest
3. You are too impatient
4. You do not admire your boss.

I have spoken to many of them since then and gone on to work with several by way of development plans or job consultations. This is because they feel bored, they’re not challenged enough or they do not get the chance to use their skills and potential. And because they find it difficult to fit in at work or have been sacked – again and again, without fully understanding why. This blog post is for all gifted people who have the sense to see that it is smart to fall in line, play the game, keep quiet, be more patient and try to agree with their boss. But they just can’t do that!

4 reasons why you cannot fall in line

You really would like to have a good and challenging job, be able to progress in your career and fit in. It just doesn’t work out, no matter how hard you try. You cannot fall in line, be like other people or act like them – and there are several reasons why:

1. You do not play the game because you have different values
2. You are too honest because you are unable to lie or do something obviously stupid
3. You are too impatient and very different from your colleagues
4. You do not admire your boss and do not fit in socially.

 

Re. 1. You cannot fall in line because you have different values

One of the skills cards that gifted people choose most often is: Uphold principles and values. A. Supports ethics and values B. Shows integrity C. Promotes and enforces the principle of equal opportunities for all D. Encourages organisational and individual responsibility towards society and the environment. They often choose this because they have had a recent experience at work where their own integrity was compromised. They have been pressured into doing something illegal or unethical. The company’s official values turned out to be just for show. Management said one thing and did another. Gifted people have a well-developed or even overdeveloped sense of justice. Some of them – especially during childhood – are extremely egalitarian doctrinaires, who may stubbornly argue and fight for the rules to be upheld to the letter – by EVERYONE! Others develop an inner compass of ethical values which guides them through life. Consequently, it is almost physically impossible for you to bend the rules or deviate from the principles that you yourself follow. This also means that you cannot play political games – although you can see through them. You are firmly opposed to feathering your own nest, having a selfish agenda, manipulating others and scheming to get things your way.

Re. 2. You cannot fall in line because you are unable to lie or do anything stupid

When you have a high IQ, you can grasp complex connections, predict potential problems and figure out when something is not possible. Once you have done this, it is difficult to keep it to yourself. Especially if you are asked to do something which makes no sense or seems downright stupid. Wasting time, unnecessarily difficult and pointless work triggers your urge to resist and protest. At the same time, you probably also like finding new solutions, optimising workflows and generally making things faster, smarter and better. If nobody can be bothered listening to your suggestions… then why did they hire you? As a result, there is an imminent risk that you will say something that the boss does not want to hear and your colleagues cannot follow. None of them can see any reason to do anything differently whatsoever. Nobody listens. It is like water off a deaf duck’s back, or banging your head against a brick wall. A waste of not only your time, but also your energy, your abilities and ultimately your life.

Re. 3. You cannot fall in line because you are too impatient

Impatience is part of your personality. Because you are fast, you easily become impatient. In the personality test, this presents itself as a high score for pace. For example, if you score 80 out of 100, your pace of work is significantly faster than the average, which is around 50. The higher you score, the harder it is to work slowly – and to be patient, allowing enough time for the process instead of rushing towards the result. When you combine this with having a high IQ, your cogs turn faster than most other people’s. You are a quick thinker – and for you there is less time between thought and action. Altogether, this means that you finish your tasks faster than your colleagues do, without having to make an effort. Impatience is therefore part of not only your personality but also your drive and your way of thinking and working. That is something you cannot change.

Re. 4. You cannot fall in line because you do not admire your boss

This reason takes us back to the playground. Playground rules also apply in the workplace. It’s all about alpha males and alpha females. As a gifted boy, you’ve probably had a lot of beatings because you didn’t look up to the strongest boy in the class. On the contrary, you saw through him, contradicted him or provoked him. Because he wasn’t as bright as you, said things that you thought were stupid, or tried to make you do things that were humiliating to make you fit into the hierarchy – below him. But you refused. As a gifted girl, you’ve probably been bad-mouthed and excluded because you didn’t admiringly support the most popular girl in the class, the self-crowned “princess”, and join her court. Because you didn’t think that she was anything special, and you didn’t find her particularly pretty, clever, likeable or fun. You mostly minded your own business or moved on the fringes. Boys turned into men, and they stopped fighting but not competing. You’re still viewed as a competitor who needs to be kept in check. Girls turned into women, but they never stopped the slander, scheming or exclusion. You’re still considered a threat to be kept at a distance and shut out. This explains why, as a gifted adult, you’ve never been recognised by the alpha male or alpha female. You’ve never become an accepted member of the group, primarily because you’re not submissive, and you’re unable to fake admiration. They notice that. It may be seen as resistance or reluctance; and since for most of their life they’ve been told that they’re right, while others have paid lip service and looked up to them, they perceive your silence as arrogance and thinly veiled contempt. If you carry on like this, you’ll either be sacked or you’ll choose to resign. You’ll be excluded from the community or leave voluntarily. Which would you prefer?

See also:

• • 10 signs that you are more gifted than you think
  • 4 reasons why gifted people do not progress in their careers