The glass ceiling

The difference between “impossible” and “i’m possible” is just a space in between

I used to work at a place that had a reputation of being creme de la creme. When people hears the name of this team, the other person would be shock — in awe — that someone from that team was standing right in front of them. As if, I was a celebrity of something. I guess in their eyes I was. Because the team that I used to work for had a reputation — only the best got in, and only the best stayed in. Even the best would crumble on this team. Only the best survived.

The truth is, yes, there were plenty of smart and capable people who got into the branch. And the truth is, there were hundreds and thousands of the same smart and capable people who would applied whenever the team had an opening, and it wasn’t unheard of to have someone join the team only to take a position that was less than what they had before (e.g. a senior manager coming to the team as a senior analyst). It didn’t matter what position you had, because the name of the team was well enough in the sector to give you the gratification, justification, and career boost you’d need later on.

Unbeknown to outsiders, is what the culture was like. The team was smart and capable, and the team motto was even “making the glass ceiling impossible”. While as pompous and lofty it might have sound, the truth is, these were a bunch of people that do that. We were the type of individuals who have always been high achievers, and high achievers strive to become the best version of themselves, and not to be someone else. Because, we were the best already, so we only had ourselves to beat.

While my friends and I might have joked at the team motto, and outsiders might look at this motto in awe, thinking if it’s any team it would be ours to break the glass ceiling — but what they don’t realize is if you’re the best already, you are the one setting the glass ceiling. Therefore, as you improve, so will the glass ceiling. The glass ceiling will move with you.

As I read through hundreds and thousands of applications recently, there was one that stood out. It had a quote. It said “the difference between ‘Impossible’ and ‘I’m possible’ is a space in between”. It’s true. Those that continue to strive to be better thinks in the “I’m possible” mindset, and those that lack confidence stands in the “impossible” mindset.

If you want to be creme de la creme, next time, think “i’m possible” 😉.