There is much joy and satisfaction in watching an underdog succeed against all odds. Most of us have a memory of our favourite underdog success (mine is Euro 2016 watching Wales get to the semi-finals which I watched from my hospital bed with my newborn son). Why? We feel connection and empathy towards an underdog which fills us with optimism giving us hope.
Being an underdog has its benefits to. Feeling like an underdog has been shown to be a source of motivation which leads to greater effort and persistence increasing the likelihood of success. When an underdog succeeds, people are surprised and pleased, leading to positive feedback and encouragement.
The underdog at work
We feel like an underdog when others do not expect us to succeed. This acts as a powerful source of motivation resulting in us putting in that extra effort to the exceed expectations. As well as motivation, it provides us with a source of security as not all eyes are on us - if we do well we've outperformed, if we don't do well, people are unlikely to notice. Being the underdog gives us both the fuel to motivate us and the comfort blanket to protect us.
This scenario typically arises when our strengths exceed what we need for the role we are in. We have the capability to step-up and perform above the level required for our role and pleasantly surprise those around us when we do. This may be a signal that we are ready for our next opportunity.
Whilst it can be frustrating to feel ready for an opportunity that isn't there yet, there is plenty to enjoy about life as a high-performing underdog. Our time in this space, provides us with the opportunity to practice and develop with the comfort of our underdog status. Making the most of this time prepares us well for the challenges of stepping up when the opportunity arises.
The benefits of being an underdog -
Low pressure to perform
Frequent positive feedback or praise for performing
Low accountability
New Leaders... when promotion feels like relegation
With the perks of promotion come the rise of expectations...
All those things that we did that went 'above and beyond' are now expected of us in our role. We also have some things to learn.
The comfort blanket of the underdog has been taken away. We now need to show up and perform to meet expectations rather than exceed them.
This can feel daunting. We have to learn to work in different ways, use new strengths and find the internal motivation to keep at it.
Positive feedback will be more scarce and we will need to become more resilient.
It doesn't last forever. With investment, the new leader becomes the experienced leader and in time becomes the underdog again as you push upwards for that next role.
In the meantime... a few tips...
Working with leaders moving into new roles here are some of the things that have helped them to embrace the challenge and settle into the role.
Get to know your strengths and use them wisely - you will have strengths that you didn't need to use in your previous role, it is now time to identify them and put them into practice.
Get to know and understand your team - identifying the strengths of your team will enable you to play your team to their strengths leaving them feeling motivated and valued. This will help maximise both well-being and performance.
Find your people - you may have been promoted out of a circle of support and it can feel lonely. Finding someone you can trust to talk things through with, like a supportive colleague, a mentor or a coach, will be a big help.
Develop resilience - you will be facing new challenges and you may not receive as much positive feedback as you had in your previous role. Set and manage your own expectations to develop resilience from within.
Maintain balance - you are likely to be in this role for some time to come, make sure it integrates and allows space for everything else that is important in your life.
If any of this resonates and you'd like to chat....
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