Turns out, quiet excellence doesn’t get you promoted


I used to think working harder was the key to getting promoted.

So I did the work no one else wanted.

I kept the computer network running.

Stayed late.

Came in early.

Answered the 2 a.m. support calls.

Made sure no one ever had to say, “The system’s down.”

I thought that made me valuable.

And in some ways, it did.

But here’s what I didn’t understand back then:

➡️
The work that gets noticed isn’t always what matters most.

➡️
Staying in the background won’t bring you to the table.

➡️
Keeping things running doesn’t get rewarded—until they stop.

What I thought was
service was actually silence.

What I thought was
value was invisibility.

And what I thought was
security… kept me stuck.

Looking back now, I realize:

👉 I wasn’t building a career—I was trying to earn worth

👉 I wasn’t leading—I was proving.

Today, I realize that to get ahead, I needed to:

Stop proving… and start building.

Lead with identity, not just output.

Build businesses that reflect my deepest wisdom—not my longest résumé.

Because I deserve more than quiet excellence.

I deserve to be
seen.

Ted

Ted Prodromou

Join 60,000+ seasoned professionals who are done with the corporate world. Epic Encore is an almost daily newsletter with inspirational stories from leading experts. Your Epic Encore is about turning your lifetime experiences into the cornerstone of the rest of your life. It represents your audacious leap into entrepreneurship, fueled by the wisdom and tenacity you've garnered in your successful career. This isn't about playing catch-up in business and building a 7-figure business. It's about forging a unique path, using your distinct perspective, seasoned judgment, and invaluable insights that can only come from years of life experience.

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