It is not titles that honor men, but men that honor titles.

  • Niccolò Machiavelli

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, there’s a potent temptation to distill our lives into neat, simple data points, allowing us to compare and contrast our worthiness as we compete professionally. The collateral damage of this temptation is that we are historically prone to assessing our identity based on three key metrics: our Grade Point Average (GPA), salary, and job title. However, this numerical triptych is a hollow and fleeting shell that does nothing to signify our real achievements in work and life.

To borrow the words of the late great Christopher Hitchens, “That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.” In this context, the data points - your GPA, salary, and job title - without context and understanding are noise in the churning machinery of human endeavor and toil, held in high regard without evidence supporting their supposed value.

One’s career legacy is not just numbers and data points. As much as we are wont to quantify our professional achievements, these cold, sterile digits fade into oblivion with our departure. And what remains? What survives this ephemeral endeavor? Your impact, contributions, and values will cast the longest shadow long after you’re gone from a job or retired altogether.

The GPA Miscalculation⌗

Firstly, let’s consider the GPA. It’s a score that presumably conveys your academic prowess and knowledge acquisition. This measure, however, is often fraught with over-simplifications and, frankly a testament to your late-night cramming sessions or the relentless pursuit of scoring that A+.

You are not your GPA (I hope not… mine is less than 1.0). The ability to regurgitate information on command during an examination does not indicate creativity or problem-solving prowess. Instead, what persists are the novel ways you’ve succeeded in solving real-world problems or the sudden dawn of understanding as you unveil the elegant beauty of a simple solution to a complex problem.

The Salary Illusion⌗

Secondly, let’s examine salary. This figure is often perceived as a direct measure of one’s value, worth, and the estimation of their skills in the marketplace. While it might be a momentary source of pride (or despair), it is an entirely arbitrary one.

In an ideal world, your salary should mirror your abilities and accomplishments. Yet, we live in a world fraught with negotiation inequities, gender pay gaps, and discriminatory hiring practices. Hence, your salary, like a mirage, fades away, leaving behind no discernible trace of your journey as a working professional. I’ve seen enough high-value work and high-impact decision-making in my life to know that these things are not at all correlated with one’s salary.

The Job Title House of Cards⌗

Finally, the job title. Look at LinkedIn and take note of the hyper-stylized, often ridiculous, job titles in your feed. Is it not a reflection of someone’s professional progression? Perhaps. But at its core, a title is nothing more than an administrative or personal-branding convenience. No amount of senior, lead, or principal prefixed or suffixed to your title conveys the essence of your expertise or the magnitude of your accomplishments.

Titles are temporary, often superficial, and fluctuate with the whims of corporate restructuring. The “Senior Executive Vice President of Synergistic Paradigm Shifts” does not convey your capacity to innovate, inspire, or lead.

Your Lasting Legacy⌗

So, what will be remembered if not your GPA, salary, or job title?

Your legacy lies in the real-world problems you’ve solved, the teams you’ve led to success, and the value you’ve created that’s had a tangible impact. It’s your creative approaches to problem-solving, the hours spent mentoring others, and the culture of collaboration and respect you’ve fostered within your team.

You will be remembered for your ethics, your conduct during trying times, and the choices you made when faced with a dilemma.

You will be remembered for the relationships you’ve built, the lives you’ve touched, and the people you’ve inspired. Not as a distant, monolithic figure barking orders from a corporate pedestal but as a mentor, a friend, a human.

Ultimately, you will be remembered for the values you’ve instilled in your work and the heart you’ve poured into your team. These are the things that will not fade with time. These are the things that are worth remembering.

So let’s cast aside the ephemeral legacy of GPAs, salaries, and job titles. Let’s focus instead on creating a meaningful impact that will echo through the digital corridors long after our keyboards fall silent. Because, in the end, your true measure as a person is the depth of your impact, the breadth of your influence, and the humanity of your approach.