#fulfilling

So I was thinking about the professionalism, the competency, of managers, leaders, execs... 

When right into the middle of those thoughts I caught these, the recollections of a teacher.

"To my first principal who - as a first year teacher - gave me zero mentor teacher, zero mentoring program, had me teach special ed (which I wasn't endorsed for), non-renewed me, and, on my last day told me, "I'd never accomplish anything in education," Well guess what, fuck face? I ignored you and took a job at a new building. Fast forward to today I am still in that building, I am the department chair, have above the state average in AP test scores, created a Holocaust elective out of scratch and serve as the faculty sponsor for our chapter of the national GSA. Lastly, I was voted as teacher of the year by my peers yesterday."

Sadly, extract these thoughts from the profession of teaching and you can land them any 'ol place. I've heard variations on these thoughts from professionals young and old, some of whom questioned whether they chose the wrong profession, whether they weren't suited to the job, whether the problem was they and their personal failings.

Which, in a nutshell, is the cost, the consequence of deficient leadership.

I loved one of the comments to the above post:

"It’s all about finding the right place, grade, and team. I am glad you used that terrible year to find a new place where you could be the best teacher."

And then this;

"My first principal was the exact opposite. I was not a decent first year teacher, but he lifted me up every step of the way. Always focused on the positives and kept our conversations lighthearted. I think he knew I was filled with insecurity and self-doubt, so he treated me with kindness and compassion and I thrived."

And. I. Thrived.

The right place. The right challenge. The right team.

And. I. Thrived.

As professional wannabees chasing our dream careers, we're not taught to say "hard pass" to opportunity. We're not taught to relentlessly pursue that space in which we will thrive.

We're prepped to take the job. And then grab onto the next, better opportunity should it appear. As if we have no agency in the process. Merely obligation to grab the next rung and the next rung and the next.

But our objective, our professional life goal, is right there, out in the open:

The right place. The right challenge. The right team.

It's a goal worthy of our relentless pursuit because fulfilling that trifecta is really what will fulfill us.

Brussels – I have shown that the EU is committed to fulfilling its obligations arising from the July trade agreement with the USA in practice, and that it is doing so. This was stated by European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič in front of journalists on Monday morning after meetings with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson…