I know that feeling all too well. Funny enough, I’d thought about going into software dev because I thought it’d let me work alone more comfortably. Along the way I found a way to learn dev but apply it to my job instead, making me pretty unique at what I do. It lets me innovate, do deep research, and work on my own while being pretty openly anti-social. Luckily I have a boss who sees the value in me.

I can’t tell you the number of once-interns and junior managers, stuck-in-a-rut folks, that I’ve quietly influenced to senior or higher positions. It really does feel incredible! I call it “leading from the back.” I’ve been wanting to write a book on it - the introverts and individual-contributors who quietly (and happily) influence without being seen.

I work as an engineer for a huge financial company, so I relate. I was a scrappy upstart who worked himself through the lowest tiers of my industry towards the top. I'm also neurodivergent.

I can speak on for days about how bosses don't care who's doing the work as long as it gets done.

As a top performer, you're likely to feel that people should perform at the standards you set, and your natural first instinct is probably to try to train and educate your coworkers. You soon realize that they either don't give a shit or they're offended that you're giving them advice. No problem, we live in a hierarchical society, so you tell your boss about the problems you face, they'll have your back, right? Wrong. You're rocking the boat, and the boss' job is to keep the boat afloat.

Now, instead of rocking the boat, you start to wonder if you there's a way you can change the current of the water so the boat goes in the proper direction. That's where wisdom and skill meet. There's an incredible amount of depth involved in influencing people and change. I wish it wasn't the way of the world, but it is. Being brilliant is only half the battle.