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> or by (in rare cases) delivering on highly visible and truly remarkable results for the company.

One example I know from the 80's: you're a director of a factory in some South-American country that produces something. It's making a loss of a few million dollars per year, and everyone at the parent company for which this factory is simply a small business unit thinks it will amount to nothing.

In two years, you've turned the situation around and are profitable with 1 million dollars per year.

The company promotes you to your next role and your successor shows how difficult your challenge was, as it's losing a few million dollars per year again.

The trick in this case: be competent, and become friends with the local South-American director, as upon arrival you realize that the company you're running is actually owned 50% by the company you work for. The other 50% is owned by some South-American company and the whole reason it loses money is because they cannot connect with the South-American director.

True story, can't disclose sources, but anyone who has seen the 80's might know similar stories.

That was then though.




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