Generally speaking, we as humans tend to develop an us/them mindset when it comes to authority. It starts early for most of us, while we’re still in school, as those in authority over us emerge as “them”, and we, along with our classmates become “us”. Not everyone develops this mindset, but for those who do it eventually develops into a barrier to success that must be overcome.

There are two roads set before the young man when it comes to his relationship with authority in general and with vocational authority in particular. One road is the “us/them” mindset. The other is the competition mindset. Let me start first with the “us/them” mindset.

The us/them mentality tends to develop its identity through what I’ll call the underling class. There is a “misery loves company” feeling that provides a soothing affect for the under achiever. Loyalty to the group is generally more important than individual advancement. Furthermore, vocational advancement is often seen as betrayal to the group. We as humans do not like to see those around us succeed when we are not succeeding ourselves, so we develop defense mechanisms to justify our own lack of success. This mindset should be considered foolish. It should be identified within the self and then rejected.

The competitive mindset, on the other hand, understands that it is in fierce competition with almost everyone else in a variety of life’s arenas. In your vocation your closest competitors are your co-workers. They are the ones you associate with, have personal relationships with, and they are the ones with whom you toil. There are bonds that develop in this environment that are both strong and important for personal growth. When the friend in this competitive arena gets the coveted promotion that results in him having authority over you, the resulting feelings are almost never pleasant. Such “feelings” are to be conquered. Instead of your friend’s promotion making you envious, it ought to be celebrated by you. This will be one of the hardest battles against your own self you will ever fight.

The man who has taken the competitive road is not threatened by the idea of a “superior”. He will grasp the mission of the organization and will understand that authority is a necessary part of the structure of the organization. He willingly submits because he knows where he fits. His own personal goals in life will begin to work in concert with the goals of the organization to the extent such a concert is possible. And working in concert with the organization is working in concert with success.*

* We as humans tend to think within static frameworks. This will be a snare for you on your road to success if you let it. What I mean by static is, the situation you find yourself in today is the way things will always be. Remember, you are not a slave to the organization. You are always free to seek opportunity where opportunity presents itself.

As you evaluate your personal situation, consider yourself as the professional or apprentice within an industry. That industry is your field and encompasses much, much more than the organization within which you currently work. Not everyone can get the promotion, but everyone can be the best he can be in his tiny corner of the world. Learn all you can in your current situation. Make yourself marketable. Realize in advance that your “promotion” will more than likely not even be within your current organization. With developed skills you may well be able to market yourself elsewhere.