Moving Up?

I cannot – absolutely cannot – believe it just never occurred to me before.

Here I am. A thoroughly trained, highly experienced, enthusiastic, totally committed compliance professional. An important part of our company’s commitment to being the best we can be.

Not just any old compliance person either. I am all in. I take my work seriously. I care about the job I do. I work hard.

I keep up to date on changes in our field. I stay on top of potential problems – catch it early before it can get out of control. I really care about the work our compliance department does.

So, why didn’t it ever occur to me to be alert about upcoming changes? Or to consider how those changes affect us all? Or to look closer at who I am here in our compliance sector and to think how upcoming changes will touch me?

The head of our office is leaving. He’s moving up to a better position, a different location, a more advanced spot on the food chain.

He deserves it. He’s really good at the job. He anticipates potential problems. He’s always alert and aware. He works hard and expects the same from all of us who work for him.

So, he’ll soon be gone.

But it never even entered my head to wonder, “Now what?” Who will head up our department here when he leaves? Who will step up to be in charge of the rest of us? Who among us would do best at the job?

Never even occurred to me to wonder. But there will have to be someone else in charge. Someone to make decisions, assign cases, update us when changes come.

I don’t think of myself as ambitious. I’m not out to move up the chain of command. I’m not exactly a go-getter. I see myself as being strong and steady, competent, up to date on change, prepared for anything that comes along.

But if I take a closer look around me, at my coworkers, my friends, my colleagues, I feel a sort of inner stirring. A “why not me” sort of thought pattern.

I never expected to move up, to be in charge, to take over the entire division here.

But suddenly there it is. A sudden thought in me that says “Why not?”

All morning, as I did my regular chores, prepped for a meeting later, soaked up a message about potential changes in our department, did all my normal stuff, I heard a whisper. Deep inside an inner voice asked me, “Why not?”

Why not me for a step up? Why not me to head up our department? Why not me moving into a higher position?

I’m not a pushy person. I’m not way aggressive. I’m not interested in showing off or pushing someone out of my way.

But that inner voice kept nudging me – asking me, “Why not? Why not me? Why not give it a try?”

And so, I did. I stepped right up, sought out our soon-to-depart boss, and asked him about his replacement, if he had decided on anyone, if he’d made any plans.

He grinned at me. “I thought you’d never ask,” he told me. “Job’s yours if you want it.”

I grinned right back and sealed the deal.

© 2026 K. Leet

What do you think?

Any future goals or dreams?

Any ambitions for the future?

Any plans on a back burner?

These are stories (usually fictional, but not always), based on insights and experiences from the world of compliance & ethics.