A very popular image, which does repeated rounds on social & professional media is this one:

It emphasizes how your best team-members are valuable to your organisation’s existence and growth. You fire them, or take them for granted, and your company WILL go down.
In essence, this image says your best team-members are indispensable. A good thought no doubt.

But isn’t it EQUALLY important for your team-members to know that they are NOT indispensable?

In fact, your best team-members are those who believe that they are NEVER indispensable. Yes, they are confident in their ability. But they are never complacent about their “stability” in the organisation.
They’re humble enough to realize that while they add value to the organisation’s profile, the organisation also adds value to THEIR profile.

In my career, quite often, I’ve seen “managements” take their best team-members for granted. And subsequently lose them. And struggle badly afterwards (…especially startups…)
So in that context, the above picture makes sense.

But what I’ve ALSO seen many times is competent team-members, who were once humble & willing to learn, developing a sense of arrogance about their abilities over time. They start believing that they are better than everyone else and the organisation rides solely on their shoulders.
They start taking the team for granted and make unreasonable demands because, “hey… they will fall flat without me… :-)”

Yes, “managements” MUST appreciate their team-members. But the appreciation must not feed egos and bloat them.

And if you are an employee reading this, remember that your humility is your most priced virtue. The day you start thinking you’re indispensable, is the day that you become dispensable.

Respect is a two way street… :-)