I am owning a small company for ten years now. We are doing good, nothing big, but stable. I started from nothing, worked very hard, many long nights, weekends, to build it. This is how I understand success – through effort and dedication beyond just the clock.
I have an employee, let’s call her Anna. Anna has been with us for five years. She is very good at her job. Truly, she is efficient, she makes few mistakes, and she is always finishing her tasks on time. Her work quality is high, and she is reliable. Everyone in the team can count on her to do her part, and she does it well. She is a senior member of her team, and her experience is valuable.
Recently, Anna came to me for a meeting. She told me she felt ready for a promotion. She wanted to be a team leader. She explained her performance, her skills, her experience. All true. She presented a good case based on her deliverables and her ability to manage her own tasks perfectly.
I listened carefully. I value Anna, and I know she is a strong individual contributor. But I told her no, not at this time. She was very surprised, even upset, I could see it on her face. She asked why. I tried to explain my reasoning, and this is where the trouble began.
My view for a team leader role, or any leadership role in my company, is that it requires more than just excellent performance during working hours. It requires a certain level of commitment, an initiative to go the extra step, to be a true example for others. It is not just about completing tasks, but about embodying the company’s spirit, about showing that you are truly invested, not just for the paycheck.
Anna, while excellent at her work, has always been very strict with her hours. She comes in exactly at 9:00 AM, and she leaves exactly at 5:00 PM. Not one minute earlier, not one minute later. If there is a deadline approaching and other team members might stay an extra 15-30 minutes to push something over the finish line, Anna will finish her part and leave. She says her work is done, and it usually is. But she never offers to help others who might be struggling a little or need an extra hand with a shared project, even if it is just five minutes past the clock. She says, “That is not my responsibility, my work is complete.”
Also, we have team events, sometimes after hours. Not mandatory, but we encourage them. Simple things, a dinner once a quarter, or a small social gathering to celebrate a team success. Anna almost never comes. She says she has other commitments, which is her right, of course. But it creates a feeling of separation. She is not part of the ‘team spirit’ in the same way others are. She is a colleague, a good one, but not a friend, not a ‘family member’ of the company, if you understand what I mean.
When I explained these things to her, she became very defensive. She said, “My contract says 9 to 5. I perform all my duties within those hours, and I perform them excellently. Why should I be penalized for respecting my personal time? Are you asking me to work unpaid overtime? Are you saying my dedication is less because I value my life outside of work?” She spoke about work-life balance, about efficiency, about setting boundaries. She said her productivity is higher than many who stay late, because she focuses intensely during her contracted hours. She is not wrong about her productivity, I cannot deny that.
But for me, a leader needs to inspire, to show that they are willing to put in that extra discretionary effort when it matters. Not every day, but when the team needs it, when there’s a big push. A leader sets the tone. If the leader leaves exactly at 5 PM when others are still working, what message does that send? It tells me they are clock-watchers, not true owners of their responsibilities. I want leaders who think like owners, who see the big picture, not just their segment of the clock.
I told her that while her work is excellent, I need a leader who demonstrates a deeper commitment, someone who sometimes volunteers for the extra, who shows up for the team, even when it is not strictly required by their job description. Someone who is seen as a pillar, not just a highly efficient cog. I told her that if she wants to develop into a leader, she needs to show these qualities, to demonstrate that she is willing to invest more of herself into the company’s collective success, not just her individual success.
She left the meeting very upset. Since then, the atmosphere has been tense. She still performs her duties well, but she is quieter, and I sense she is looking for other opportunities. Other employees have noticed the change, I am sure. Some might think I am unfair, that I am asking for too much, for unpaid labor. But I see it as asking for the kind of dedication that makes a true leader, the kind of dedication I showed when building this company.
Am I The Jerk? I feel I am reasonable. I am not asking for endless overtime, just a showing of willingness to sometimes go beyond the strict minimum, to truly belong to the team and the company’s mission.
Please, tell me your honest thoughts. I want to understand if my expectations are truly out of line, or if it is just a difference in how people view professional commitment.
