Chris used to work for a corporation--until one day he was told that he could leave... permanently. He wondered why he would be disposed of after giving seven years of his life to the company. He was certain he wouldn't stay there forever, but he thought he would have a little more control over the timing of his departure.

I met with Chris and speculated as to the reasons he was fired. Of course, he heard the typical corporate explanation--code words that translate into the basic understanding that the leaders didn't have a clue as to what they were doing and why--you've heard them before, I'm sure:

We're going a different direction- That assumes they knew where they were headed in the first place!

We are reorganizing- That is an admission that the corporation has been unorganized for a long time!

We need a team player- This is one of my favorites because it suggests that the corporation prefers you to leave your brain in the car when you arrive at the office.

Many companies dispose of employees they fear. That seems strange, but it's true. Many of today's corporations don't know what to do with thinking people, so they get rid of them.

If your employer isn't afraid of you it is because one of the following statements is true:

1. You work for a very progressive company!

2. You pose no mental threat!

If you are in the first situation, congratulations! You are very fortunate and should be grateful for the opportunity you have to participate in the business processes of your corporation.

However, if you are in the second situation, you need some help. Frank A. Dusch said, "You can't stop people from thinking--but you can start them." Chris thought he was hired to make a difference--to contribute to the improvement of the products the corporation produced. So, when ideas were tossed about, he analyzed them and commented positively or negatively. Some of his exchanges with his supervisors were lively, but they were never rude or inappropriate. After all, Chris was responsible for a product line that grossed millions of dollars annually.

Chris was dismissed following a situation in which he questioned the research that produced a decision that seemed illogical. After all, the decision seemed to be nothing more than the repackaging of an old, failed idea!

When Chris was called into his manager's office that day, he was told that the company was going a different direction, but his co-workers knew what happened. Chris was dismissed because he dared to utilize his brain in carrying out his responsibilities. That fact is so well-known that his former coworkers no longer speak up in meetings and, because of company orders, make no effort to maintain their relationships with Chris.

When Chris left his employer, he commented that the corporation didn't lose an employee, it gained competition. Today, Chris does from home what he did for the corporation. He recently won a contract for a job beating out the bid from his former employer. The ideas he had that were rejected by the corporation now are the foundational principles of a very successful entrepreneurial endeavor!

What began as a tragic event in his life turned into a wonderful opportunity. Rather than check his brain at the door, Chris walked out the door, picked up his brain, and put it to use to win a contract that will pay him more than his last annual salary at the corporation!

If your employer is afraid of you, then you should be encouraged--you probably have some quality that they have no plans to put to use. However, if your employer isn't afraid of you, evaluate your situation--you might be living below your potential. Think about it!