I am qualified. I may not have gone to the prestigious schools or been in the top leadership positions at a large company but I have spent my career observing. As you were clawing to the top and taking no prisoners on the way, I was watching. I was taking notes. I saw the human toll you took to better yourself. So yes, I am qualified. I didn’t study the theory and learn about what others hypothesized I experienced it. I did tests and collected data. I have lived it and what I see is not at all pretty.
You have underestimated who I am. I am not a follower I am a leader. I am not a person that watches others create I am a creator. I have imagination. I live outside of the box so that is why you never find me. I will not just fall in line with everyone else because I see the path and it is not the path that I am interested in going down.
You have underestimated who I am. I am not a follower I am a leader. I am not a person that watches others create I am a creator. I have imagination. I live outside of the box so that is why you never find me.
So when you judge me without taking the time to know me it is you that is not qualified. You are not qualified to lead if you are not able to see the people that hold value around you. You are not qualified if you believe you hold the key to my success. I will take my knowledge and know how elsewhere and you will be a perfect example of why you are not qualified. I will be critiquing you and providing you with areas where you could improve.
Yes, I have been silent but through writing, I am finding my voice. A voice that is stronger than I ever realized. A gift that I never knew I had. I don’t intend to hurt anyone, I am just finished being the one that is hurt. So no, you may not like what I have to say but I speak the truth from the vantage point of where I am sitting. My truth is just as valuable as anyone else’s truth. I am done being criticized for who I am. I have value. I have been underestimated. I have been made to believe what I have to say does not count. I have news, I am qualified, I do have something to say, and my opinion does count.
Raissa,
You have a voice! You more than have a right to express your feelings and opinions. Talent is something we both know you have an abundance of. If you have been sitting and watching others while taking notes I say GOOD FOR YOU! You qualify as a student of life which is a label I learned to embrace from the late Phil Ochs (singer, songwriter, poet, and social/political activist) who considered himself to be such. Great article, Raissa. Take care and stay well.
Raissa, I am so pleased to see you stand in your writing power and speak your truth with WORD. The small sentence that had a big impact on me was, “I have value.” Yes, you do Girlfriend! And the second one is, “I have been underestimated.” Their bad! But, no more. You go girl!
When we share what we write we give many a voice. Thank you so much for sharing.
WOW!
This article really captured feelings that I have experienced of leaders I have worked for!
When I did speak out though I was never truly heard at best and in one case I was worked out of a company whose success was largely as a result of my work over 14 years. After 16 years I was gone. It took another 4 year’s for this manager to be discovered for his poor leadership and finally he has been sidelined. But he has done great harm to the business.
The leadership above this manager would do well to read this article and learn from it as I have done!
Thank you David for reading and for commenting. It validates that there are others out there that are suffering the same things. I just wish more spoke out so we could start to make a difference. The pendulum is swinging in the wrong direction and I continue to see so many pay the price. Would love you thoughts on some of the other articles I have written here.
First things first, Raissa, let me congratulate you for giving voice to those that continue to get muzzled!
Your writing style is not only bold but equally uncluttered as well. I enjoyed every word like it was coming out of the depths of my own experiences.
Thank You, for this extra-ordinary article!
Thank you Bharat. Your words mean a great deal to me. Every word does come from deep within. In person I am very unassuming but there is a very deep river that runs through me just beginning to emerge.