A leader I coach recently said something that has stayed with me for days:
“Employees need to believe that their personal success is intertwined with the success of the company.”
Profound, right?
As an HR professional, I meet people across the spectrum, some with sharp clarity and grounded expectations, and others… not so much.
What’s concerning is the growing trend of entitlement without impact.
People expecting frequent promotions or big hikes simply because they:
• Have put in “enough” time
• Took on stretch assignments
• Are “committed”
• Have stayed loyal, even in struggling companies
I’ve seen this across roles, even in enabling functions like HR and Finance, where the rules applied to others don’t seem to apply to oneself for many.
Here’s the hard truth:
Promotions aren’t rewards for effort alone. They’re outcomes of demonstrated business impact.
Before asking why not me?, ask:
• How did I impact revenue, margins, culture, or innovation?
• What did I do to create tangible value for customers or shareholders?
• If I left today, what legacy or measurable change would I leave behind?
In India’s high-pressure work culture, the survival mindset often pushes people to chase titles instead of growth. But here’s the thing, you can only “job-hop” your way forward for so long. Eventually, the industry sees the pattern. Impact (or lack of it) shows.
If you’re upset over a missed promotion, pause. Ask yourself:
• Do I truly understand my organization’s goals?
• Have I mapped my career aspirations to business needs?
• Do I have a development plan for the next 12 months?
If not, that’s your starting point. Not sulking. Not quitting (at least not without clarity). Not waiting for someone else to solve it.
Growth is earned. Ownership is yours.
Build the kind of career and reputation that makes others proud to have worked with you
Nehapedia 