With benefit of hindsight, I know now that anyone who feels like an outsider can be successful, but it requires both an enlightened management and a dedicated employee. A manager can be demanding, but must also have the empathy to figure out what will motivate employees. Likewise, an employee is right to put his or her head down and work hard, but they also have the right to expect a pathway to greater responsibility and recognition when they do. There must be balance.
