If I don't do it, no one will.

Photo by joyce huis on Unsplash

"If I don't do it, no one will."

This is one of the most common limited belief systems I encounter with my clients. It's about par for the course for high-achievers, and ironically, one of the most professionally celebrated "mindsets" in the job market. 

Often, this limited belief is interpreted by employers as being responsible, taking initiative, and doing "whatever it takes" to get the job done. 

Unfortunately, "whatever it takes" takes its toll. And not just on the employee running the belief. 

We don't often slow down enough to look at the impact of unconsciously running a belief system like this one. 

Here's one potential outcome:

Other employees who work with someone who believes it's up to them alone will ultimately be disempowered, and worse, learn to expect that all of the tough labor will be "handled" and so they don't have to worry about it. 

This relationship is implicitly codependent, and creates a lot of energetic drain in the capacity for a team to perform well together.

So what's the root cause? 

The employee in question likely struggles with vulnerability, letting go of control, and feels threatened by others' success. Their worth and identity is wrapped up with being the one everyone goes to for help, and they create circumstances where they are the only possible resource (hello, job security) and where everyone else is seemingly incapable.