The "Shade of Brown" career theory
How ownership, second-best positioning, and being unprofessional creates momentum
Before we get into it…I’m curious and invite you to cast your vote below (polls are anonymous btw):
Whatever your answer, it’s a reminder that the stuff we can’t control (wars, supply chains, global oil markets) makes the stuff we can control even more important.
Which is exactly what this week’s edition is about.
1. The grass isn’t greener
A journalist got in touch with me recently to comment on this line I shared with her, and instead of letting my response sit in my Sent Items, it’s here for you today.
Leanne, what do you mean by, “The grass isn’t greener… It’s just another shade of brown?”
A senior engineer once said this to me early in my career while I was looking for other jobs. His point was simple - we assume other organisations have it all together. They don’t. The line sounds cynical upfront, but it’s empowering. It shifts the question from “Will another organisation make me happier?” to “What am I not taking ownership of here?”
We romanticise the next role - better culture, better leadership, better balance, better pay with less stress. But what usually happens is we trade one set of problems for another. Every workplace has pressure, politics and imperfect humans. When people change jobs expecting emotional relief, they’re often disappointed because they take their own patterns with them.
We also forget the green patches we already have.
We fixate on what’s frustrating and assume the next organisation will fix all of that while keeping everything we currently take for granted. Often, the next place has its own brown patches in exactly the spots you assumed would be green.
When I first heard that quote, I was spending every commute home scrolling job ads. Instead of quitting my job, I started volunteering for cross-functional projects, hosting internal sessions, and building relationships outside my reporting line.
The environment didn’t change, but my reputation + influence did. Within eighteen months I was leading cross-functional projects, running workshops globally, and absolutely loving the job I’d previously wanted to quit.
Leanne, why are professionals expecting their organisation to “fix” their career?
There’s a growing narrative that organisations are failing employees. Sometimes that’s true. But in many cases, the individual has more agency than they’re using, because it’s comfortable to outsource responsibility.
Employers owe you pay and a safe workplace, that’s the baseline. Purpose, meaning and progression aren’t guaranteed perks. They’re outcomes you help create.
It’s easier to say “there’s no pathway” or “my manager doesn’t develop me” than to ask - Have I clearly stated what I want? Have I invested in myself without waiting for approval? Have I demonstrated capability beyond my job description?
No one is thinking about your career as much as you are. That sounds harsh. It is actually freeing, because it puts you back in control.
What are some practical tips for starting?
I think most professionals over-invest in doing good work and under-invest in being known for it. One quick point: Protecting your energy is sensible. But coasting in third gear long-term isn’t neutral (I am SO over the quiet quitting movement). It chips away at your confidence, your momentum, and how much you enjoy your day-to-day.
A few practical ideas:
Check for FoML before you act on FOMO: People often leave a manager, not an organisation. FoML is Fear of My Leader. Ask: if this were the same job under a different leader, would I stay? If yes, explore internal moves first. Sideways moves can build skills, relationships and leverage fast.
Host things: The quickest way to build visibility is to convene something: run a lunch-and-learn, facilitate 10 minutes of a meeting, or share a short project debrief with three takeaways. Hosting puts you in rooms you’d never normally be in, with people who wouldn’t normally see your work.
Build relationships before you need them: Opportunities move through conversations long before they hit job boards. Pick five people whose work you respect and reach out with curiosity: “I’ve been noticing what your team’s doing on X. I’d love to understand it better.” I also recommend “friendtoring”: a regular catch-up with a peer in another part of the business to swap context, share what’s shifting, and learn how to get the best out of where you work.
What career advice would you add? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
2. The goal to be second best
Last week I went to a Minerva Network event sponsored by Golf Australia at Golf X. Quick context: I’m a mentor with the Minerva Network, which supports professional female athletes. It’s brilliant.
They gave us Callaway high ponytail caps (finally, a cap that works), there was a putting competition to win a full set of clubs (I was out first round), it was a ton of fun.
Golf Australia’s mission is that every woman has golf as their second sport. Such smart positioning - they’re not there to compete with netball, tennis, hockey or WAFL. What they’re saying is whatever your main sport is, just add golf.
I used to play on and off a few years ago. I have clubs. I just… stopped going. And one of the reasons why is that I don’t have any girlfriends who like to play… so I’m ALL IN on Golf Australia’s new mission (who’s up for a hit sometime?!)
Question for you:
Where in your work or career could you stop competing for first place, and start positioning yourself as the perfect complement?
3. Getting unprofessional with Miriam Hadness
I jumped on the Unprofessional podcast with Miriam Hadnes recently and we got into how being unprofessional changed my life (for the better!).
In this episode: why tight deadlines are a gift, what happens when you fuse your identity with your work, and why disliking failure and fearing it are two very different things.
See you next week!
🌴
Leanne “Karrie Webb-Wannabe” Hughes
p.s. Nodding along? Click the Heart button. Bonus points if you drop a comment.