Ariful Amin

“Arif, you’re technically superb, the most vibrant leader with your team, and perfectly negotiating with stakeholders when things need to get done; you’re A COMPLETE PACKAGE. Working better than anyone in the team. But why do you feel demotivated?” My boss, with years of multinational experience, was totally perplexed when he couldn’t understand me. It’s natural; many bosses feel stressed when you’re calm. But they get impressed when you keep delivering impactful results with calmness, and take stress off their shoulders. I did that for years.

Not all bosses are the same though. A stern-faced one said in my first half-year review, “This conversation would have been different if you didn’t deliver this.” And I had just solved a 3-year-old automation problem for him that saved 600 hours of work, recurring, every year. Better yet, it saved the department’s reputation for employee wellbeing, because two team members had to start two hours before the usual start time daily to complete this task manually. But my boss was hiding his happiness.

On another note, from my early career: a couple of months after transferring to his team, I overheard my CFO exclaiming to HR, “Why don’t you give me few more of such golden boys?” and it instantly became a happy memory in my limbic system.

This was just the different way of working of different persons. I loved both of them, but I debated both of them too, when my work demanded it.

On another occasion, my CFO announced on the floor, “I like Arif because he never has a bomb in his pocket for me.” Keeping your boss ahead of every problem, every day; that is what alignment looks like, and that one line taught me the meaning of top performance. You may act in the best interest of your organization, but if it isn’t aligned with your boss, you’re never getting that “Top Performer” package at the year-end review. Sounds counter-intuitive, right?

Welcome to the corporate, Bro!

This is exactly why I built LAGBro, and the Lucent Pack is just the starting tool:

1. to help you when you’re stuck in a limbo for years: no progress professionally, personally, or financially
2. to help you grow without stress in your current role, while also building transferable skills
3. to build the network that helps when you need it
4. to manage your career, life and finances in sync, so each one compounds the others

I have guided many colleagues, friends and strangers before you: at work, in classes, in streets, across the country, across the world. Few things make me happier than seeing people get ahead: having a happy life, getting the promotion, or buying that thing from their childhood dream.

So, shall we start?