Promoted Without a Plan: How Budget Cluelessness Became a Leadership Trait

Mediocre at Its Finest

Bittersweet truths – because some promotions smell like privilege, not professionalism.
So there I was–minding my own business driving to work, windows down, music up, feeling young again. Not flexing. Just existing. I’d bought a new car and parked it in the employee lot.
I didn’t know I was being watched.
Punched in and began my day. Right before lunch, my supervisor asked, “How did you get your new car?” I blinked, “What do you mean?”
In my mind, I thought, “I ain’t got time to give you an economics lesson. Didn’t they teach budgeting and credit in school?”
Later, I overheard she’d dropped out of community college because she “couldn’t sit still long enough to study the material.” Once gossip moves faster than HR.

Now, I’m wondering how she got the Manager position? If she can’t financially manage her life or sit long enough to read to learn, how is she managing a large organization, and more importantly; who is managing the money?

There must have been a switcheroo for job requirements.
● Can say “per my last email” without blinking
● Replies to everything with a passive-aggressive smiley🙂
● “Knows someone” in upper management
Meanwhile, the very job posting I’ve been eyeing for years magically reappears, and when I inquire?
The manager says, “You just don’t fit in.”
Excuse me?
Oh. Okay.
Fit into what exactly?

Rise of the Bare Minimum

Let’s be real. It seems like companies today are perfectly hiring mediocre help–you know, people who bring just enough energy to clock in, coast through, and collect a paycheck like it’s a participation trophy.

Apparently, “good enough” is the new excellence because:
● Mediocre is cheap.
● Mediocre is safe.
● Qualified won’t rock the boat.
And guess what? Those of us who actually pushed ourselves through school and life?
● Mediocre is affordable. Qualified is a threat.
And that mindset is why so many one-great companies have crashed.

Do These Names Ring a Bell?

Enron. Kodak. Blockbuster. Kmart.
Once giants. Now ghosts.

A beautiful cocktail of:
● Lack of innovation
● Poor employee relations
● Failure to adapt to changing markets
● Financial mismanagement
● Lack of ethical leadership
● Fraud
● And yep…pocketing money while sinking the ship

Sound familiar?

Remember When They Said…

Let me take you back 20 years.
Jobs–especially the “professional” ones–required degrees. Period.
“Go to school,” they said.
“Finish your degree,” they said.
“Come back and reapply after graduation.” they said.
And I did.
I ate ramen, I missed time with my children, I paid for books that cost more than rent–and I finished.
And now?
Now, Karen, from customer service, can become Director of Operations after submitting a Canva resume and a three sentence cover letter that ends with “I’m a fast learner.”
Oh, and by the way, the company’s AI will now sort through resumes and toss mine aside because I dared to include actual job experience instead of keywords like “synergy” or “pivot.”
(This really happened, by the way. After years of applying, I was suddenly “hand-picked.” Cute.)
Let’s not forget, the positions we were told to “come back for” don’t even pay enough to cover monthly payments for student loans we now have.
These jobs have the audacity to say “bachelor’s preferred” in one sentence, then offer $19/hour with bare
benefits in the next. But sure, let me go ahead and update my resume with “Willing to Work Miracles.”
Honestly, I should’ve kept a receipt for every rejection letter that said “Just finish your degree and apply later.” I could’ve wallpapered a lawsuit with them.
(I know, I can’t sue. But I’m still mad.)

Mediocrity Never Quits

It keeps multiplying. We sit at meetings like peas in a pod–wasting time and payroll talking about little Johnny’s Saturday baseball game or brainstorming what fun game we can play next quarter.
Because nothing says “scale responsibility” like another round of virtual Jeopardy.
They say “Two heads are better than one,” but tell me how is that true when both heads think alike?
That’s not a collaboration. That’s confirmation bias in khakis.
● It’s the dumb leading the dumber.
● Retail attitude masquerading as corporate culture.
They bring in call center habits–smiles so wide you can see molars–and act like repackaging burnout in bubbly lingo is leadership.
“Is there anything else I can do for you today?”
Yes, you can stop insulting my intelligence.
Because behind that forced positivity, real people are hurting.
They’re sick. They’re grieving. They’re juggling lawsuits and car wrecks, eviction notices, and medical bills. The last thing they need is to be greeted like they’re at a checkout lane at Walmart.
Here’s the problem, this ain’t Walmart!
In healthcare, we provide services that even Walmart can’t compete with.

Little Miss Know-It-All

I normally stay silent in meetings, unless something is said that literally impacts us as a team.
We started out with one app to complete our daily tasks. But over the years, they added a second, and then a third; we were still using the original one that they swore they’d retire.
The platforms weren’t even integrated with each other.
I suggested a more secure, integrated platform, and was built for security. Their response? “Our company is too large for that platform.”
Mediocre people have a big head on their shoulders.
I said, “No, we’re not. In fact, the more apps we use, the greater the security threat.”
Let’s just say I was right.
But what do I know?
Little Miss Know-It-All–Never Will Fit In
The only one who saw it coming.

Final Word

In reality, I love not fitting in.
I didn’t work this hard for myself and my family to become a status quo of mediocre.
That degree that I hold taught me something that only AI will only have the capability to explain in layman
terms to you, “How I turned my degree into a promotion for myself.”
Because, if you haven’t figured out how to purchase a car at your age, AI might be your only hope…
Sweetie, real talk, but it still won’t make you an excellent leader.

Ren