Nate’s Notes 93: Status or Influence? NYU Professor Joe Magee on Standing Out while Fitting In

What interesting questions Joe provided us.

First, where do you want to get your status from? By being part of a high status organization? Or by doing great work inside your organization. In other words, would you rather have status or influence? Because often, they are mutually exclusive.

Second, are you optimally distinct…fitting in while standing out? If you don’t fit in, you might not have influence. And if you do fit in, are you providing something uniquely valuable, making the work better for everyone else?

Third, are there any projects causing you self-doubt? If so, you potentially just found a great source of pride if you complete the project. By taking on the thing that no one else wants, and turning it into something that’s really important, we increase our influence.

I love the frameworks Joe provided for how to think about status and influence in organizations. All simple ideas. Please take them seriously.

Joe Magee Bio:

Joe Magee, Professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, researches hierarchy in organizations and how status and influence differ. Joe earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Michigan and a PhD in organizational behavior from Stanford.