It is suggested that in running a mile that the first person to finish the race is the only person to be rewarded. While there are medals for second and third, the first place finisher does get the “gold”. Still, there is more to finishing a race than being the very first to cross the line. There is first by age or gender at the very least. More to the point, a person can be running to qualify or are running against themself and simply running for time. There were many races that I finished where I was participant on an individual level and was not positioned to win. But yet I did. Finishing ninth with a personal best can be viewed as a win.
In business, not every employee can be the “star”. There are various levels of achievement and they are matched by the appropriate reward. More importantly as was pointed out by lisaamorao, managers are not looking for the “one hit wonder” rather we are looking to hire the individual who can create repeatable success. There is a place for steady performers. They might not win the President’s award but you can count on them to compile strong numbers month after month and this is what pays the bills that allow companies to grow.
Success is a funny thing………..it can mean different things to different people. While there is only one Bill Gates there are many successful people out there in the world!
