For a smart employee, he is always happy to take on "trouble" voluntarily.
It was a Friday afternoon, just before the end of the workday. With the weekend approaching, everyone else had relaxed, mentally planning how to spend their free time. A stranger walked in and asked Langge where he could find an assistant to help organize some documents, because he had urgent work that must be completed that day.
Langge asked, "May I know who you are?"
The man replied, "Our offices are on the same floor. I'm a lawyer, and I know you have stenographers here."
Langge told him, "All the stenographers from our company have gone to watch a sports game. If you'd come five minutes later, I would've already left too." But Langge added that he was still willing to stay and help, because "there will be other chances to watch games, but work must be finished today."
After completing the task, the lawyer asked Langge how much he should pay. Langge jokingly replied, "Oh, since it's your work, maybe about $1,000. But if it were someone else's work, I wouldn't charge anything." The lawyer smiled and sincerely thanked Langge.
Langge's response was just a joke—he never actually expected $1,000. But surprisingly, the lawyer took it seriously. Three months later, when Langge had long forgotten the incident, the lawyer tracked him down, handed him $1,000, and invited Langge to join his own company with a salary much higher than his current one.
When you do something that isn't your responsibility, that's opportunity. Someone once studied why we fail to seize opportunities when they arise. The answer? Because opportunity often comes disguised as "trouble."
When "trouble" shows up, most people's first instinct is to run away—and thus they miss the chance. When someone hands you a difficult problem, it might actually be creating a precious opportunity for you. "Whoever owns the problem should handle it"—that’s the mindset of an average employee. Such employees are at best considered merely competent. But for a smart employee, he's always happy to seek out "trouble."
Workplace Insight: In every company, there are tasks that no one takes ownership of. This is where employees need a sense of "stepping in." The more you do, the more important you become. The more tasks you take on, the greater your personal and professional resources grow—making your position increasingly advantageous.