Every organization has that one person they turn to when the numbers don’t add up, stakeholders aren’t happy, morale is low, or a noisy presentation is about to go bad. They call without any hesitation to the person who always saves the day. They fix spreadsheets, calm tense nerves, lift spirits, and quickly rework slide decks while dialing in an otherwise tense presentation with a plausible resolution.
They’re told they’re the “glue that holds everything together” and “we’d be lost without you,” but when advertising season rolls around, they’re ignored again. This person was not penalized for poor performance, they were paying what I call a “competence tax”.
What is discretionary tax?
For high indicators, one hidden professional value when being “reliable” becomes your whole personality. Because you always get paid, the reward for good work becomes more work rather than strategic opportunities or promotions.
Why does this happen? Leaders try to reduce conflict and uncertainty. When they know there’s someone they can count on to always de-stress and de-clutter, they naturally turn to that person when something important or urgent happens. Before long, a competent personality becomes an expectation that others don’t necessarily have. So, the better you are at your current job, the harder it will be for others to imagine you at your next job.
Why High Performers Pay the Competency Tax
Many high-level workers unconsciously reinforce this cycle. They enjoy solving difficult problems that no one else can solve. To them, this is a puzzle that needs to be solved. They say yes because they sincerely want to help, even to their own detriment. They get a sense of satisfaction and satisfaction from being reliable. Believing that good work speaks for itself, they rarely, if ever, advocate for themselves. If something goes wrong, everyone knows who to assign it to. This cycle continues on its own.
Four signs you’re paying discretionary tax
There are signs that being responsible has become your personality.
When something goes wrong, you are the first to call. You can be trusted to handle almost any problem, big or small, but trust is mostly about performance. You rarely walk into strategy meetings where you can offer insight into where problems are emerging.
Your responsibilities expand, but your influence does not. You are constantly being asked to do more. You have more responsibility without the associated authority.
You are often praised, but you career suspended. You said all the while you are a valuable asset to the team and organization. Surprisingly, you are very valuable where you are, and why you are not big in your profession.
You do urgent work, but not visible work. You quench the fire and calm the troubled waters. You fix, support and execute. Meanwhile, someone else proposes to him leadership (probably your job offer), relationship building and strategy development.
Authority is one of the fastest ways to build a reputation. Who doesn’t want an employee they can trust? Unfortunately, reputation alone does not guarantee growth. The goal is to ensure that reliability is not compromised. This is what gives your credibility an opportunity instead of an arrest. High officials are not promoted just to do great things. They thrive when others understand the value and impact of your work and can relate it directly to your contribution.
