In business, promising young talents are often promoted by superiors in a kind of unspoken mentoring relationship. As a result, young people’s careers develop very favourably over a period of years. If they fail to develop good self-confidence during this time, it can lead to a nasty awakening.
Peter Näf
As young people, we often do not know exactly what our strengths are and what makes us stand out. Of course, there are lucky exceptions of people who have developed self-confidence at a young age. To a certain extent, this is probably a result of a characterial disposition and/or was fostered by caregivers in the formative years of adolescence.
Those who are more self-critical may be fortunate to be encouraged by superiors who recognise their qualities. They use them according to their talents and those promoted in this way develop quickly. Those who have the appropriate position and recognise talents can use them in a targeted way. This constellation can work well for many years to the benefit of both sides. The superiors take their protégés to new positions as part of their own career development. Sometimes this works well until after the mentees reach the age of forty. At some point, however, there is a caesura in most cases.
Being a protégé is not a long-term strategy
Different developments are possible: the supervisors find a new job and cannot take their mentee with them because the new company has other plans. Or the mentee develops interests that take his/her career in a different direction, making a separation inevitable. And last but not least, the apprentices may one day have finished their training and become competition for the master teachers.
And so, the previously well-supported employees are suddenly left to their own devices. Those who have not prepared themselves for this will find that they suddenly have to take over functions that were previously covered by the mentor. They have to decide in which direction they want to develop and actively look for appropriate roles. And self-marketing is also their responsibility, because up to now the mentor has ensured the positioning of their protégé without them noticing much about it.
Take the reins into your own hands
At this moment at the latest, it is a matter of taking your career into your own hands. Once the situation has been recognised and the shock of the new demands has been overcome, the necessary measures can be taken. In a personal and professional assessment, those affected learn about their needs and goals. They develop a feeling for their personal strengths and gain self-confidence. This enables them to position themselves successfully.
Knowledge is power: Those who know you well can use you accordingly. So make sure you are in the driver’s seat yourself.
The ancient Greeks already knew the importance of this fact. It is no coincidence that the inscription on the Temple of Apollo in Delphi reads: Gnothi seauton – know thyself!