Blackberry whats the word

"What's the Opposite of Entitlement?" or Why Your Time at BlackBerry [or Enter A Past Company Name Here] Has Created Unrealistic Expectations

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[This will be a bit of different style post with different style content, and could massively bomb, will have a go posting it nevertheless. If you hated it, feel free to tell me, no problems with it on my side. You may wish to replace "BlackBerry" with the company you had the greatest experience with in your entire career, and modify the narrative to fit your own experiences if you'd like.]

I was lucky to have been hired at BlackBerry back in 2000, and during my almost dozen years there, to have been given roles across sales, channels, service management, ops and even legal across different geographies. I was also lucky to have been given the opportunity to have helped establish their APAC business, and to have even taken on expat assignments in Australia and Hong Kong. I was luckiest to have had a chance to lead a regional business that spanned across Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea, and to have taken on the role, when expectations had been the lowest they'd ever been. A lot of people who were there also during this hyper-growth era, had great luck too and even still today, I see many reminiscing about the past and how that environment where we got to build awesome things everyday was amazing.

For a large number of us, though young, we had a chance to take on great responsibilities, to manage large P&Ls, large teams and to have achieved non-trivial business targets. In turn, for many, we had chances to sit in senior roles - and then one day it ended. For me, I left on my own accord to work on my startup, for others, they left as the business changed or in some cases were eventually forced out.

What's happened after many left, I think is a bit interesting. I saw many folks, especially people managers, take a long time to find their next jobs and roles, especially because they were seeking roles of similar seniority and scope. Many who found new roles, I've also seen, subsequently continue to jump, probably because the companies they were with, weren't the right fit. During these career changes, they have believed that they deserved to maintain the rank and responsibilities they had had at BlackBerry. For many, they have prioritized title, over the quality of the companies they are working for.

Here's the thing, and you are welcome to argue differently, which is the point of this sort of discourse, but I used the word lucky or variants of that in the opening paragraph today. How much of your success was due to your own abilities, versus being in the right place at the right time? How much of your success was due to momentum of the brand or business versus strategic decisions you personally made? How much of your accomplishments were due to your abilities, versus a rising tide lifting all boats?

As people progress in their careers, it's hard sometimes, to take what look to be single or even multiple level steps down, especially when you see, like here on LinkedIn, your peers from the past now in great roles and winning great promotions. You may feel you are being slighted, you deserve better, you deserve to be recognized and respected, and by keeping and not bowing down to expectations of taking a downgraded role, you are insisting on the highest standards.

Here's the thing though, the answers to the questions before, are not that black and white, whilst you did contribute to your own success, market momentum helped. Whilst you are a great strategist, timing was just as important. What's true for everyone though, was that you were a great leader, your recognized the opportunity that was in front of you, you grew with it, you achieved great things. With it came professional growth and title. You earned it, you weren't entitled to it - so why is that different now?

I get asked a question all the time here at Amazon, especially because we seem somehow able to attract and bring across exceptionally intelligent and experienced professionals - "Is the job we are talking about sufficiently senior for me?"

Many that come across and complete interviews with us, do so, because they are curious about the company and the investments we are taking. We see MD, VP and Director-grade folks taking on line management roles, Senior Manager and Managers taking on IC roles. People in previous region-wide roles, taking single market or small market roles.

So the answer to this question, here at Amazon, is actually probably always going to be no. The role will not be sufficiently senior enough for you.

The thing is, just like you've always done in your career, why should that matter? You built a path to success for yourself before, and if you have confidence in your own capabilities, I don't think you should be afraid to take on this task again.

Many at BlackBerry say, the experience there was a once in a life-time opportunity and they may never experience it ever again. If you operate from a position of entitlement where you are unwilling to take a step back or down, to be in a situation where you realize you want to help grow a business again, it probably will have been of course a once in a lifetime opportunity.