When The Rules Don't Apply: Take A Chance On Someone

Every day on LinkedIn or other social media platforms, we’re taught to celebrate and admire “self-made” success. It’s the classic bootstrap story, coming from CEOs, star athletes and beyond. You’ll see individuals extol their impressive achievements — which were seemingly accomplished with no help from others. Today, I’m thinking about the opposite of that self-made impulse: thanking someone who has made a difference in your career. Someone who might have given you a break when no one else would; someone who you have to thank for your entire path thereafter.

This is about taking a chance on someone. This is a reminder that when we’re considering hiring a new employee, we can’t always be box checkers. More often than not, the best candidate does not have the most experience, or does not match exactly the job description you’ve created. But oftentimes, these so-called “shortcomings” are made up for in spades by someone who is motivated to prove their excellence and brings new skills to your team that you never knew you needed. No risk, no reward.

Everyone, at some point in their career, has been fortunate enough to have someone take a chance on them. And sometimes, that makes all the difference.