Your thinking is your talent.

It's your intellectual power.

Thinking is your operating system. You create, run on, and improve it over time.

You think of pieces to shape an idea, and how to connect them to work together.

Like thinking of how to build your business, gain a skill, solve a problem, or create a new approach.

Thinking is like a functioning machine, each part does its work in an efficient way.

The more brilliant your thinking, the greater the idea.

Great thinking results in value creation.

Thinking is what differentiates talent

And you love to share how you think to get feedback, impress, or participate.

Showing your thinking is like showing your secret weapons: from strength, ideas, solutions, brain abilities, to knowledge.

It doesn't mean to conceal it for good, but there are consequences to being an open book.

You have to play the tactic of what to share and what not, whom to share it with or, and when is the right time to share.

Not everyone wishes you good when it comes to business, success, and career.

The way you think will impress some and make you some enemies.

Being an open book can harm you; it can crash your plans or goals before they even start.

Displaying your thinking is a dangerous thing to do

The more people know about you, the more they can predict you, prepare for you, or attack you.

You have to understand that every crowd in a social, business, or political setting has its own internal battle.

Some fight to protect their position, while others fight to reach higher positions.

Some play politics at the ground level to protect others in higher positions.

Showing how you think is allowing others to steal your thoughts and ideas and prepare how to create barriers for you.

The problem lies in envy; it's a trait inherent in human nature that everyone possesses.

Some individuals can suppress it and evaluate it against better alternatives, while others allow envy to become their operating system.

Running bad systems has its malicious goals to achieve.

There is a difference between jealousy and envy. People often mistake between the two, thinking they have the same meaning.

People can be jealous of the things you have and wish to have the same things themselves.

If you bought a car or built a business, some people will get jealous and be motivated to do the same thing.

While envy is the desire to strip someone of their wealth, relationships, knowledge, social status, success, etc.

Envy is when you don't want someone to be better than you.

Envy carries negative energy; it radiates from its source toward you.

It can make your spirit heavy, disrupt your inner peace, and stir up negative emotions.

Where most you will experience it

The place where you often experience friction with people over a long period is at work. This is where you share your thinking: your big ideas, solutions, approaches, methods, etc.

It's the place where your manager, director, or VP may feel threatened if you outsmart them.

Everyone has insecurities. If you show the way you think, you may trigger their envy and resentment.

The number one rule:

'Never outshine the master' - Robert Greene, from "The 48 Laws of Power".

Don't go too far in showing your thinking (talent); you may accomplish the opposite. Your masters will block you from reaching your heights.

Despite companies seeking talented thinkers to hire, the game is different when it comes to displaying it. What you're hired for can make enemies of those around or above you.

It’s everywhere

I have experienced this early in my career at Deloitte.

I was new to the corporate world, naive, and thinking in a team perspective.

I generated a lot of energy to fuel my ambition and dreams. I was motivated to create, solve, and reach high.

I shared everything: my thoughts, ideas, approaches, analysis, and more. I made an effort outside of work hours, developing myself through reading and taking courses.

I wanted to reach high.

But I faced barriers, blockades, and resentment. It was my fault; I was an open book, displaying what I had in mind.

I didn't know anything about human nature, envy, and insecurities at work.

I received average to nearly bad yearly performance reviews, which prevented me from moving upward. My managers stopped inviting me to key meetings.

That's the price you pay when you fully showcase your talent.

During the years, I have seen the same pattern. People are made from the same cloth; it's the same soul, just in a different body.

Make your master appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights power.

Play the game, be wise

Never show your full potential all at once.

Distill what you know at the right time with the right people. Play politics, navigate complex human nature, and speak less, only when necessary.

Show your ideas and potential in front of those who will open doors for you, not those who will shut them in your face.

Assess those around you, paying precise attention to their reactions, attitudes, and behaviors.

Everyone has a crack in their mask; find it and play your game.

It's about protecting yourself from being blocked or let go.

Unfortunately, you have to play politics in life; you have to be wise, you have to manipulate the bad ones

People can be weak and allow their envy to control them, driven by their desires.

However, it doesn't mean everyone out there is bad; there are good people like you.

You have to have a filtering system to assess who is who. Many are great at wearing to appear naive.

Conceal your thinking like an intelligence office conceals information.

Thanks for reading!

Ahmed

PS two things I can help you with:

1. Run a business design discovery

Exploring and defining the strategic direction, objectives, and key elements of a project. uncover opportunities, understand user needs, and design solutions that align with business goals.

2. Guiding and advising

Guide you and help you on a project you’re working on; need help to set direction to reach desired outcomes.