Crocodiles are very ferocious hunters, grow big and live long.  There is no real match to the jaw power of crocodiles in the entire animal kingdom.  Further, the crocodiles are ever (continuously) growing animals, if abundant food resource and water is available.   The most striking point is that the crocodiles cannot outgrow the pond or water body they live.   It means, even if abundant food and perennial water reserve is available, if the size of the pond is small, then they cannot grow big, beyond the size of the pond. 

Most of the bosses in corporate will be then happy to have crocodiles in their department/team or as their subordinates so that they never outgrow their bosses.  However, such subordinates will remain powerful, aggressive and highly capable.  You boss is happy with you need not be due to your performance but due the fact that you may not outgrow your boss.

Most of the corporate employees would show the instinct of crocodiles.  They never, either like to outgrow their bosses or the corporate where they work.  The other possibility is that they diminish and destroy their talents and creativity both knowingly and unknowingly in order to be with the corporate realities purely because of the comfort/fallacy they enjoy. 

It is not about how powerful, aggressive and capable you are.  With reference to all your above rare traits, whether you have sufficient opportunity & space to grow continuously and perform to your fullest in your organization?  People may misinterpret the regular increments, bonus, other perks etc., as good index of the corporate where they work.  It is like continuous availability of water and food in an aquarium for a crocodile.  But unfortunately there is no space for its continuous growth.  It has to remain in the size of a baby crocodile even at the adult age despite all comforts and luxuries of an aquarium.  

Understand your scope to outgrow in any given ecosystem.  If you cannot, but you can, then you have to migrate to another organization and should never fall prey to the comforts of the current organization.  It is not the comfort but your continuous growth to your full capability only should beckon you. 

The message of a crocodile that is incapable of outgrowing the pond is that, never stuck to or romance with the comforts you enjoy in your organization but introspect whether such comforts also gives you unlimited scope for your limitless growth.  Be like crocodiles in ‘Nile River’. 

Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai

Desire, Dream and Destination – Social Entrepreneur Forum