Some of our more bookish readers will recall author C. Wright Mills’ conversations about the power elite. When I studied political science as a young man, I can tell you that I was intrigued, to say the least. How do these people get to be power elites? Where can I sign up?
Some news that flew by earlier this week is a case in point. Former Microsoft executive Kurt DelBene (chief of Microsoft Office) has accepted an UNPAID position to take over healthcare.gov, the troubled web site most associated with the noun “Obamacare.” Why would he do that? As a successful individual, isn’t his opportunity dance card full? The answer is simple: POWER. There’s something about motivated individuals and their need to achieve. And it’s not just headlines and bright lights. Rather it’s about the revolving door.
My former go-to example of the revolving door system was found on Wall Street. Investment bankers take a dramatic pay cut to become Treasury Secretary in Washington DC only to return to Wall Street at a higher-level at a future date. My new example is this: DelBene is a technology executive who is going to do a tour of duty in DC which will likely set him up for a super executive position in technology at a future date (e.g. CEO of Microsoft?).
My own career mirrors this at some level. For the past 25-years, I’ve returned to Microsoft periodically to serve when asked. For example, this past spring I took a sabbatical from SMB Nation to assist Microsoft OEM in capitalizing on the Windows XP migration opportunity. Each time I serve Microsoft, I return intellectually richer for the experience and it ultimately makes the SMB Nation community a better place.
So how can you participate in the revolving door to further your career? I’m not suggesting you become a political animal like DelBene. That would be an unnatural act for many of you. Rather – I could see you accepting an in-house IT position to learn life on the inside and then returning to your MSP practice as a more mature seasoned senior professional. You heard it here first!
