Tall Poppies vs the Corporate Hedge-Clippers
Tall poppies are high achievers, but they shouldn’t be afraid to stand-out. So don’t or shy away from celebrating the success of others, and always appreciate the value of hard-work.
If you live in New Zealand or Australia, you know what Tall Poppy Syndrome is, and you have probably experienced it in some form or another. Even though it has many labels around the world, what Tall Poppy Syndrome boils down to is the intentional cutting down of over-achievers so that they are on par with the rest of the bunch.
There is a lot of discussion about Tall Poppy syndrome in the media (see this article from 3 news), and in academic research (Tall Poppy Syndrome for Entrepreneurs) explaining the negative impacts of this behaviour. We know it isn’t right and that it is damaging our creativity as a nation, but we still seem to subject others to and be subjected by the figurative hedge-clippers.
So why do we cut down the “conspicuously successful” amongst us?
Firstly we don’t like it when others make us look bad, either through performing well or achieving more than us, leading us to get defensive and reactionary.
Secondly, cutting people down (or having them cut you down) may be unintentional. This can be a result of group and organisational cultures that proport to prioritise equality, which is actually an act to keep everyone at the same level.
Thirdly, some over-achievers will get ahead at the expense of others and expect you to celebrate their success along the way. We often feel a need to cut these people down to put them "back in their place".
By making small shifts in the way we think we can make a huge difference in whether Tall Poppy Symdrome manifests in the workplace or any other interpersonal relationships;
Remember, in credit and hard-work there should never be any zero-sum beliefs. Everyone who is a bright star deserves to to shine. At the same time, there is enough success to go around and if you work hard it is likely you will also have your time in the sun. If you rob someone of their spotlight, however, it is only a matter of time before someone does the same to you.
In many situations rewarding mediocrity has become the norm, so when anyone deviates from this they are put back into their place. It is our job to fight against this, because fear of standing out or having others change the status quo can only ever stymy creativity and lead to stagnation.
We have to recognise that the people who step on others just so they can move up the ranks or gain prestige are misguided. It is really not your job to put that person in their place, rather learn from their mistakes so that you won't repeat them when it is your turn to celebrate your success.
In a society where political correctness has gone mad and the status quo is the only way to go, you can still be successful and be humble at the same time. What this takes is an environment where we feel free to talk about what we are doing well, but that we don't use this as a weapon to make other people look bad. We also need a greater level of personal accountability so that people are able to achieve on the basis of merit, and those who under-perform are given models of behaviour to strive toward.
So don't be afraid to stand-out, never shy away from celebrating the success of others, and always appreciate the value of hard-work.
Have a different perspective.
-Ranga