The Lost Eagles Among Chickens: A Tale of Missed Opportunities and Outdated Hiring Practices

Every day, you pass by people like me on the street—ordinary, unassuming faces that blend into the crowd. You won’t remember us. We don’t stand out in the way you might expect. But what if I told you that behind some of those faces are minds capable of solving your most pressing business challenges with ease—people who could revolutionize your organization, if only given the chance?

I’ve had the privilege, or perhaps the misfortune, of sitting across from top executives at some of the world’s leading companies. They laid out their challenges, problems that kept them awake at night—issues that I knew, without a shadow of doubt, I could solve. And yet, time after time, these companies chose to walk a different path, hiring candidates who fit neatly into the textbook profiles they’d been taught to seek.

A few months later, I’d see those same companies advertising for the same roles, the challenges still unsolved, the problems still festering. And I’d wonder—what could have been different if they hadn’t missed out on me? If they hadn’t missed out on the countless others like me, who don’t fit into the conventional molds but carry the solutions they desperately need?

It took me years to realize that perhaps I’m not built for traditional employment. I’m not wired to follow the status quo, to quietly accept strategies that I know are flawed, just because they’re “company policy.” I’m an entrepreneur at heart, a student of thought leadership, driven to question everything and refuse to idolize outdated practices. And that, more often than not, lands me in the bad books of those who see questions not as a form of communication but as a threat to their authority.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m an eagle among chickens—different, restless, always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. And while that’s made me an outcast in the corporate world, it’s also what makes me, and others like me, invaluable. Yet, time and time again, organizations overlook us in favor of those who fit the script, who quack like ducks, saying all the right things but bringing little innovation to the table.

There are many of us out there—people who feel trapped in jobs that stifle our creativity, who wonder if this life was ever really meant for us. We watch as our ideas are dismissed, our potential overlooked, simply because we don’t fit the outdated criteria of what a “good employee” should be.

But what if we took a different path? What if, instead of conforming, we embraced our uniqueness and followed the spark that brings a smile to our faces and a sigh of relief to our souls? What if we dared to break free from the roles that constrain us and started walking the path that was truly meant for us?

To those who feel the same frustration, who know they have more to offer than what their job descriptions allow—I urge you to take that leap. Don’t wait for tomorrow, because there are only so many tomorrows left. The world needs more eagles, more people willing to think outside the box and challenge the norms.

And to the organizations and employers out there, I say this: Stop missing out on great talent because of outdated hiring practices. Open your eyes to the potential in those who don’t fit the mold. The future of your company might just depend on the very people you’re overlooking.