Work for the goal, not to prove something

When you feel you have something to prove, you are more prone to making grand gestures rather than doing the little things that actually matter. Which is why this kind of action is the preserve of the insecure and the impatient. Leaders often resort to such action, especially when they feel there’s doubt about their ability to be a leader.

Having a chip on the shoulder is a great way to get some initial momentum but it can only take you so far. Ultimately, any pursuit involves millions of little things that only you will see, but they have to be done if we have to move forward. If we devalue actions that don’t have any signaling value, we will keep going round and round in circles without making any progress.

Moreover, working for towards a goal because you want to ‘show someone’ is an exhausting way to go about it. Because not only do you have to do the work, but also ensure you are making the effort to broadcast it for people to notice it.

Finally, treating work as a signal makes us impatient because we are eager to get to the result that others can see. In order to do that we might end up taking shortcuts that seem attractive in the moment but could lead us completely astray.

It is a natural human desire to seek prestige, but like most of our other deep desires it can only be found indirectly. Prestige is not taken, but given. And a key part of achieving that is doing the work nobody notices.