Recent LinkedIn slop post by Mike Whitaker that perfectly explains why the Citi MDs that have no clue get the seats that they have:
“Nobody is going to manage your career for you.
I wish someone had told me that in 1980 when I walked into NatWest as a junior office worker.
Instead, I spent the first few years of my career believing that if I worked hard and kept my head down, the right people would notice. That the system would reward me. That someone, somewhere, was keeping track.
Nobody was keeping track.
Here's what I've learned across 45 years and thousands of careers watched, and developed:
The people who progress are not always the most talented...
They're the ones who:
→ Know exactly where they're heading and why
→ Build relationships before they need them
→ Move towards discomfort instead of away from it
→ Think two jobs ahead, not just one
→ Refuse to let their current expertise become their ceiling
The people who plateau are often the most capable people in the building. They're just waiting for someone to tap them on the shoulder.
That tap isn't coming.
I've sat in boardrooms where promotion decisions were made. I can tell you — the conversation is "who's ready?" And readiness is something you build deliberately. Nobody builds it for you.”