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In This Article:
- Why complaining keeps you stuck
- The myth of needing permission to succeed
- Lessons from a fearless mentor
- How failure is the best teacher
- Five steps to uncover or create real opportunity
Complainers Not Needed: A Smarter Approach to Success
by Sean McMann, author of the book: Hacking the Corporate Jungle.
"People do not seem to realize that
their opinion of the world
is also a confession of character."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
A friend of mine would regularly voice her frustration that her career had been stunted because her boss regularly didn't give her the recognition or credit she deserved. To my dismay, she often did this at work functions.
Expanding on it for anyone who would listen, she would back up her claims with valid evidence that others had even received credit for her work. She also had countless examples of great opportunities given to others when she was clearly the most qualified for the job.
The Real Problem
I often meet people just like her, who think the problem is a lack of opportunity or permission from their boss. Now, obviously, there is no doubt that those given more opportunities throughout their life are more likely to, at least eventually, succeed at one. But complaining about someone else's good fortune not only annoys most people but can convey a level of immaturity you do not want as part of your reputation.
Throughout my own career, I've learned that opportunities are everywhere. Waiting for a boss to hand you one is not only dumb but a surefire way to get labeled as a complainer instead of a top performer.
Although it's all too tempting to think the problem is a lack of opportunity from your boss, the real problem is thinking you need one handed to you or that you need permission to seize the one right in front of you.
Fortunately for both of us, I had a mentor who taught me this very early on in my career. If you had met Isabel and me back then, I can guarantee one thing: you would have remembered us. She was brilliant and fearless, and after working with her for eight months, I could clearly see why she had such a great reputation for closing new business.
Jedi Master?
In meetings, she was never shy. If she had questions, you knew it. If our boss asked us to do something that didn't serve her immediate goal, she'd let me handle it. When it came to prioritizing her attention, she was a Jedi master.
Occasionally, our teammates would get annoyed or roll their eyes when she would ask dumb questions. She always pretended not to notice. She was seemingly too focused on winning. She didn't appear scared of anything, and it definitely didn’t take long for me to see that she didn’t care what others thought of her.
No one seemed to make her nervous, no matter what their title was. As a mentor, she would regularly ask me to do things that, had I more time to think about, would have scared the shit out of me, paralyzing me and my career trajectory.
Permission Not Needed
Fortunately, she was so determined to win she didn't care what my role was supposed to be. I was talking directly with leaders, product owners, or anyone we needed answers from. We didn’t ask permission; instead, we went where we needed to, knowing full well we’d likely need to apologize and ask for forgiveness later. My other new grad colleagues were doing assistant-like work or serving as arm candy in front of clients.
I was given an objective and told to hit it. If I failed, she'd explain how she would have handled it. She'd talk me through the underlying strategy, and to her brilliance, she would then push me back into the corporate jungle to try again.
Learning Through Failure
As my new grad colleagues were getting the guts to ask for more challenging and stimulating work, I was already honing my instincts and learning what needed to happen. Unlike what I learned in school, I was learning through failure instead of avoiding it at all costs.
In my first few weeks under Isabel’s guidance, I quickly learned, contrary to popular belief, that failing is the single fastest way to learn. Additionally, I learned that most supervisors saw it as their job to ensure you didn’t fail instead of picking you up, dusting you off, and giving you the confidence to try again when you did.
5 Steps to Finding (or Creating) Opportunities
If you struggle to find an opportunity worth seizing, start with the following steps:
-
Talk to those all around you, including the supervisor’s supervising supervisors. Ask them where they see the most opportunity and expected growth.
-
More often than not, opportunities with the potential to provide both career advancement and a raise exist in plain sight, often hidden under the guise of boring endeavors, annoying but mandatory requirements, or fully explored solutions. Sometimes, they simply exist in the thing that is no longer currently in vogue.
-
Commit to one of the opportunities you feel good about. View it as a bet instead of a decision that will make or break your career.
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Accept that most people go where the crowd says they should. So don’t be dismayed if you are seemingly the odd duck out when you bet a few months or a few years of your career on an opportunity no one else is willing to.
-
Don’t get distracted or discouraged, and like my friend, don't let others' success in the most popular or loudest opportunities discourage you. We all can provide value, and we all can help contribute in our own unique way.
Using the steps above has led me to capitalize on the biggest opportunity of my career.
No matter how many opportunities you see your boss give to others, there is always another one waiting for you. It’s simply a matter of finding it. Sometimes, they are hidden in plain sight. Complaining about the behavior of others is surely a waste of time.
Action Items:
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Talk to others. Ask your colleagues, clients, friends, or others in your industry where they see the most opportunity.
-
Start to compile a list. It’s easier to avoid complaining about how unfair things are when you can easily reference countless other ways to realize success.
-
Fortune favors the brave, so make a bet and then jump into it head-on. Set a reminder on your calendar for three, six, or nine months out to check your progress and reevaluate if it's paying off. Even if your first few bets don’t make you fabulously wealthy, the additional learnings will increase your chances of further success later on. Remember, knowledge is power.
Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved.
Book by this Author:
BOOK: Hacking the Corporate Jungle
Hacking the Corporate Jungle: How to Work Less, Make More and Actually Like Your Life
by Sean McMann.
This book is your guide to the questions seething deep down in your gut. From dissecting how we view work and its connection to our very self worth, to how to instantly eliminate hours a day in email and meetings, this book will teach you the proven method Sean McMann used to go from new Grad to Director of Consulting in eight straight years.
With expert tips on how to manage your days for maximum productivity, how to manage your boss to avoid unnecessary work, and how to invest in yourself from your very first day on the job, this book is for anyone looking to make more, work less, and remain relevant in a constantly changing world.
For more info and/or to order this book, click here. Also available as a Kindle edition.
About the Author
Sean McMann was recruited right out of college to work at one of the largest data firms, and then embarked on an eight-year journey from new grad to consulting director. Privileged to see behind the curtain of some of the largest corporations today, he recognized the system was broken and quit at the height of his career. Though he'd been working the least but making the most money he ever had, he bet everything, including his money, reputation, and time, on trying to fix the problem of the corporate jungle. He shares his insights in his new book, Hacking the Corporate Jungle: How to Work Less, Make More and Actually Like Your Life. When he's not writing, researching, and speaking, Sean spends his time riding his bike, visiting art museums, snowboarding, and playing with his two young sons. Learn more at seanmcmann.com.
Article Recap:
Sean McMann challenges readers to stop complaining and start creating opportunities. Drawing from personal experience and mentorship, he outlines five practical steps to find or create career opportunities—no permission required. Learn why failure is your best teacher and how bold action can change your path. This is a call to stop waiting for the world to be fair, and start crafting your own success story.
#StopComplaining #CareerSuccess #OpportunityMindset #MentorshipMatters #CorporateWisdom #SelfLeadership #SeanMcMann #FindYourOpportunity #TakeAction #FailForward
