Why Do Even Capable People Fall Behind?

Here is the English translation, keeping the original speech-like, motivational tone while making the English natural and understandable:

Singapore is a very small country. Do you know how small it is? It’s like the size of one of the cities in Bangladesh. It’s only around 730 square kilometers.

Yet, the rules and regulations in that country are extremely strict. For example, if someone spits in a public place, they can be fined. You can’t smoke just anywhere. That’s one of the reasons the country is so clean and beautiful.

The smaller the organization, the more important rules and regulations become. When an organization maintains strict standards and follows its rules properly, it can maintain a higher level of quality.

Imagine you’re traveling on a local bus. For some reason, you suddenly need to use the bathroom. You ask the driver, “Could you please stop the bus for a moment?”

He might say, “No, brother, we can’t stop now. We’re already running late. Why did you suddenly need to go?”

And if he actually applies the brakes, the passengers sitting in the back might start shouting too: “Why are you stopping for this? Just hold it!”

But imagine you’re traveling with a very reputable transportation company. You simply tell the supervisor politely, “I need to answer nature’s call.”

He immediately understands. He might ask you for five minutes. He won’t make a big deal about it. He’ll simply say, “I’ll stop ahead.”

Then he’ll find a convenient place, stop the vehicle, let you use the restroom, and continue the journey. Before leaving, he may even make a phone call to make sure you’re not going to be delayed and that you’ll arrive on time.

That is what standards are about.

When an organization follows proper rules and regulations, the more consistently those standards are maintained, the more professional and reliable the organization becomes.

A person’s conduct, work, and representation should reflect both themselves and their company in a positive way.

How you represent yourself—that is professionalism.

From your dress code to your behavior and manners, everything represents two things:

1. It represents you.

2. It represents your company.

Think about a high-standard hotel.

When you enter, someone wearing a professional uniform comes to you, hands you a menu, and says, “Sir, what would you like to order?”

You look through the menu and place your order.

Now imagine another hotel. It’s a huge place with a lot of space. It looks impressive from the outside, but when you enter, nobody pays attention to you.

After a while, someone comes over wearing a lungi, looking sweaty and smelling unpleasant, and says, “What do you want to eat, brother? Tell me.”

He doesn’t say, “Sir.” Instead, he starts listing fish: “Boal fish, hilsa, punti, shing, koi, poisha, loitta…” He might name a hundred different types of fish.

You finally say, “Give me this one.”

That’s the difference.

This is why even a very small organization can eventually become bigger and better than a large organization.

You don’t become big overnight. Growth happens gradually.

But if everyone practices following rules and regulations from the very beginning, that organization can grow tremendously.

Perhaps there are organizations in Bangladesh that are much bigger than yours. But if you properly maintain the rules and regulations of your organization, your standards will remain high.

When you maintain professionalism, manners, and ethics, that is professionalism.

Professionalism is how you do your job.

It’s not only what you do; it’s how you do it.

How do you come to work?

How do you interact with others?

How do you behave?

How do you communicate?

How do you sit?

How long do you take when you go on a break?

Do you return on time or not?

All of these things are part of professionalism.

If you’re given a 15-minute break but you take 30 minutes, that is not professional.

So, remember:

What you do is not professionalism. How you do your job—that is professionalism.

If we go into more detail, professionalism involves being reliable, setting high standards, paying attention to every aspect of your job and industry, staying organized, and taking accountability for what you do.

Now let’s talk about productivity.

Look at a cow. It produces as much milk as it is capable of producing.

A tree produces as much fruit as it is capable of producing.

A flowering plant produces as many flowers as it is capable of producing.

But the only creatures who often fail to make proper use of their capabilities are human beings.

We are the ones who become lazy.

Let me ask you something.

In the profession you’re currently in, in the company where you currently work—are you giving your maximum?

Are you giving your highest level of productivity?

If you ask your conscience honestly, you’ll get the answer.

Human beings are often the only ones who don’t give their maximum.

Even a dog gives its maximum.

If it hears the slightest unusual sound, it doesn’t just continue sleeping. It immediately becomes alert and starts barking.

A cat also gives its maximum productivity.

If it senses a mouse somewhere, no matter how cold the night is, it will go there. It will sit alert, with its eyes, ears, and senses fully focused.

When we look around us, we see that every living creature is giving the level of productivity it is capable of giving.

Even a tree is doing its job properly.

But we human beings often fail to give our maximum.

Our speedometer may be capable of reaching 150, but we are sitting there driving at 20.

Imagine you bought a powerful bike—something that can easily go over 100 kilometers per hour. The road is straight and clear, but you never take it above 20.

Then why did you buy that bike?

You could have bought a much cheaper vehicle and driven at that speed.

If I buy a powerful bike, it means that when I get a proper road, I should be able to use its power—without crossing its safety limits.

I should be able to operate it within its capabilities.

That’s the point.

We are human beings—we are Ashraful Makhluqat, the best of creation. Allah has given us tremendous abilities and potential.

If we can make proper use of the power and potential Allah has given us, we can become exceptional.

Everyone should strive to become the best in their own field.

I am a public speaker. I am a corporate trainer. I am a business coach and a life coach.

I don’t have to perform on a football field.

I have to perform in my field.

Right?

If someone is a singer, they need to perform in the field of music.

If someone is an actor, they need to perform in acting.

Everyone needs to perform in their own field and give their maximum effort.

A singer isn’t being told, “You have to become the best actor.”

No. You need to become the best at what you do.

So, why is professionalism important?

Because professionalism affects every aspect of your professional career.

It affects your career growth, your sales, your relationships, your opportunities, your promotions—and even whether you keep your job.

Why do people get fired from companies?

Often because of a lack of professionalism.

Because of poor manners.

Because of inappropriate behavior.

Because they don’t know how to communicate properly or how to behave in different situations.

Imagine a senior person tells you something.

As an employee, you need to understand that your senior has responsibilities. If company management tells you something, you should understand that the company is paying you, and you need to listen and try to understand what they are asking you to do.

But instead, you respond with something inappropriate like, “That’s not right.”

Because of that behavior, you could end up facing serious consequences—even losing your job.

That’s why maintaining professionalism is so important in our professional careers.

And first of all, let me say this:

Be a contributor.

The first step toward professionalism is becoming a contributor.