It's not you, it's their bullshit.

LinkedIn reports that "the majority of U.S. professionals (58%) believe they have a wide range of skills that are being underutilized in their current roles."

I see you. I know you. I am you.

I have felt this in every job I've had in the last ten years. Years after departing IBM Design I had the chance to grab a drink with one of the top leaders in my program. I shared that I genuinely felt bad for leaving, but there was nowhere to go. The guy across the table smiles and said, "it was an open secret that Greg Storey was grossly underutilized." That perspective was incredibly validating.

It wasn't me, the program was just in an awkward place without enough of the work I'm capable of doing successfully. I ran into this problem again and again until I got out and stayed out.

The source of this problem can be found in the top comment posted by Travis O'Rourke in response to LinkedIn's report:

"My unsolicited advice for you on this lovely Friday? Don't wait for someone to hand you more responsibility.......TAKE IT. See a gap? FILL IT. Spot a problem? SOLVE IT. Then say, "It's done." Most organizations are running lean right now, and leaders are looking for people who raise their hand, step up, and make things happen. The person who wants it most usually gets it. You can choose to be quiet and frustrated, or loud, valuable, and advancing. It's your choice. Your career is a long game and sometimes feeling underutilized is the nudge that leads to your next big leap. Either jump, or jump out."

If your art collection needs a statement piece on classic asshole leadership then print that post out, frame it, and hang it next to your $6.2 million banana with duct tape.

Travis’ “friendly advice” represents everything wrong with leadership thinking—take a stat that screams 'organizational failure' and make it about the need for individual hustle. While I agree that people should be proactive, Travis' perspective is gaslighting disguised as motivation. His advice isn't just tone-deaf—it's actively harmful. He's telling people in structured, hierarchical environments to risk their jobs while completely ignoring why organizations are systematically wasting human potential in the first place.

When the culture doesn't have the foundation to support entrepreneurial spirit and activity "taking, filling, solving" works against those who put themselves out there. Especially when everyone is quietly panicking about losing their job when hundreds of thousands of people are out of work.

It only takes two rounds of layoffs for the culture to go full on Game of Thrones. Once the third round hits all bets are off and it's Lord of the Flies time. 

So, no Travis O'Rourke, leaders aren't looking for people to raise their hand because they can't see them while hiding underneath their desk. And that's only if said hand hasn't already been cut off by peers who see collaboration as competition.

The problem isn't at the employee level, this is all on leadership's shoulders. Too often people are pushed aside because the work that really needs to be done doesn't match their title or job description. I've seen so many people try to do more only to be told to stay in their lane. Even when there is evidence that they are more than capable I've heard one too many times that that's not what they were hired to do.

But when I controlled enough of the situation and encouraged role expansion—helping to inspire and spark belief in their ability to do more—it works every time, one hundred percent of the time. People don't need permission, they need coaching, assurance, and inspiration. They need to know that they can go fill gaps, solve problems, and fix things without having to fear that it will potentially jeopardize their employment.

If leaders took more time to develop solid emotional intelligence and invest in getting to know their people beyond the work in front of them, they would see like I do. See their team for what they are capable of, not what the org chart says that they do.

So no, Travis. The problem isn't that 58% of workers aren't hustling hard enough. The problem is leaders like you who see a crisis of wasted human potential and immediately ask what individuals can do to fix your failures.

You're the reason why these numbers are beyond acceptable ranges. You're the reason why your people spend more time sheltering in place. You're the reason why so many people hate their jobs.

Until you, Travis, and the rest of your kind, learn how to TAKE responsibility and FILL the huge gap in your leadership skills then there is nothing to SOLVE.