Being dependable can make you indispensable but not promotable.

Fixing problems repeatedly keeps you stuck in execution roles.

Doing great work doesn’t guarantee you’ll be seen as a leader.

“Can you come take a quick look?” This is the third time Anna was pulled in to fix yet another project that wasn’t hers. Deadlines were slipping, morale was low, and no one knew how to solve it. That’s why everyone turned to Anna…again.

Anna didn’t hesitate. As she always does in these situations, she stayed late, reworked the plan, listened and coached the team, and within a few days, the project was back on track. The crisis had passed. Anna had stabilized the system…again.

At the next all-hands meeting, Anna’s quick thinking was recognized with some vague praise: “We can always count on you.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

Inside, Anna was feeling hopeless. This was the third time this quarter she was in rescue mode, the office mechanic, for other teams’ projects instead of leading her own initiative. The high-visibility project, the stretch assignment she so desperately wanted, was quietly moved to someone else…again.

Her performance was........

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