are you indispensable?

I hope not. But probably not for the same reasons you’re thinking.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the ways that we have been formed (or maybe misinformed?) to understand purpose, calling, and usefulness in life, career, and in relationships. We are taught to be unique, to develop a skillset that no one else has, and to make it so that we are sought after.

Sure, all of that is important and it makes for a long list of professional development opportunities, but I also care about cultivating new skills and bringing other people alongside. What good is it if you’re the only ‘expert’ in an area?

Job security? Okay. You may love being called upon because you’re the only one who knows about fill-in-the-blank.

But wouldn’t the organization and your teammates be better served if there were several of you who were experts?

I think all the time about how talent is developed. I look at my own journey and think about the people who have encouraged me along the way—those who saw some spark in me to be stoked and tended.

Who are the people in your sphere who you could be inviting alongside you? Nudging to move ahead of you?