Not everyone can become a great leader…

For most of my career, my managers have told me why I could never do their job. I wasn’t charismatic enough. I wasn’t diplomatic enough. I wasn’t results-oriented enough. I wasn’t outgoing enough. I didn’t talk like a manager. I didn’t think like a manager. I didn’t look(!) like a manager. And most of all, I wasn’t positive enough.

I have sat in a performance review, had my manager agree that I met all of the documented expectations for the next level already, and in the next breath have them deny my promotion with the line “you just need to be more positive”…