Dear Loser,
Everyone at work keeps talking about "leaning in" and being ambitious and fighting for a seat at the table. I just want to do my job, go home, and watch television. Is there something wrong with me? — Leaning Back in Louisville
Dear Leaning Back,
There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. The pressure to "lean in" — to be perpetually ambitious, hungry, and striving — is a cultural expectation, not a moral imperative. Not everyone wants the corner office. Not everyone wants to manage people. Not everyone wants their career to be the most interesting thing about them, and that's not a character flaw. It's a preference, like not liking cilantro.
The "lean in" philosophy was written for people who want leadership positions but face barriers getting there. If you don't want a leadership position, the advice doesn't apply to you. It's like reading a mountain-climbing guide when you're happy at sea level. The guide isn't wrong. It's just not for you.
Here's the thing nobody says out loud: companies need people who just do their jobs well without aspiring to run the company. If everyone were "leaning in," who would do the actual work? Ambition needs a base layer of competent people who show up, deliver, and go home without agonizing about their five-year plan. You are that base layer. You are the foundation. The leaning-in people are leaning on you.
Watch your television. Enjoy your evenings. Do your job well because you have professional standards, not because you're hoping to impress someone. And the next time someone tells you to lean in, lean back. The recline is underrated.
— The Loser