When I started my career as a banker in the early 2000s, there were two messages that young professionals heard repeatedly. The first was: “In banking, we deal with financial instruments, not emotions.” The second was even more memorable: “We don’t pay you to think; we pay you to follow procedures.”
Yet something curious happened as people progressed through their careers. The same organisations that discouraged independent thinking at the entry level suddenly expected managers and leaders to demonstrate judgement, creativity, emotional intelligence, problem-solving ability, and strategic thinking. They were now expected to navigate complex customer relationships, resolve interpersonal conflicts, make difficult decisions, and contribute ideas that would improve products, processes, and performance.
Looking back, I often wonder where those capabilities were supposed to come from. If we spend years teaching people what to think and how to comply, why are we surprised when they struggle to think for themselves? In many ways, I suspect the culture has not changed much. Listen to some customer interactions today, and you will still encounter account officers and relationship managers who sound remarkably robotic – excellent at reciting procedures but less comfortable exercising judgement, empathy, and independent thought.
