What if the most credentialed person in the room is the least capable?
We’ve been conditioned to equate titles with talent. The corner office, the fancy degree, the LinkedIn badge—we assume they signal skill. But titles are costumes. Expertise is the work.
Here’s the truth: A title tells you what someone was hired to do. Expertise shows you what they can actually do.
The Costume Party
A man in a lab coat isn’t automatically a scientist. A CEO isn’t automatically a leader. A “senior vice president” isn’t automatically senior in wisdom.
Titles are shortcuts. They simplify hierarchies, not competence.
In 2010, a hospital administrator with an MBA mandated shorter patient visits to “boost efficiency.” Nurses—who lacked titles but had decades of experience—warned it would backfire. It did. Errors rose. Trust plummeted. The administrator kept their title. Patients paid the price.
How Titles Trick Us
Titles are awarded for many reasons:
- Politics.
- Tenure.
- Charisma.
- Luck.
Rarely do they correlate with the ability to solve problems, inspire teams, or adapt to change.
A study of Fortune 500 companies found that 30% of executives rated their own CEOs as “lacking critical skills” for their roles. Yet those CEOs kept their titles—and their power.
The Quiet Rise of the Uncredited
History’s most influential contributors often held no formal titles:
- Rosalind Franklin’s research underpinned DNA’s discovery. She never won a Nobel Prize.
- Steve Wozniak built Apple’s first computer. His business card said “Engineer,” not “Visionary.”
- A temp worker at a pharmaceutical company once spotted a data error that saved a drug trial. Her title? “Administrative Assistant.”
Expertise doesn’t announce itself. It reveals itself.
The Title Tax
Organizations pay dearly when they confuse authority with ability:
- Innovation stalls: Ideas get stuck in approval layers.
- Morale dips: Teams grow cynical watching unqualified leaders fail upward.
- Mistakes multiply: Decisions are made by those distant from the work.
A titled manager once insisted on using outdated software because “it’s always worked.” The team spent months fixing avoidable errors. The manager’s title? “Head of Innovation.”
Spotting True Expertise (Hint: Ignore the Business Card)
- Look for scars, not trophies
Ask: “What’s the hardest problem you’ve solved?” Experts have stories of failure and reinvention. Title-holders have talking points. - Watch them work
A seasoned teacher can quiet a rowdy class with a glance. A novice with a “Department Chair” title might lecture to chaos. - Test humility
Experts say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” Title-holders fear admitting gaps.
The Expertise Audit
Next time you’re swayed by a title, ask:
- “What have they personally created, fixed, or improved?”
- “Would I follow them if they had no title?”
- “Do their peers seek their advice?”
A head chef who can’t cook is just a manager with a hat.
How to Respond (Without Burning Bridges)
- In meetings: “Interesting idea. How have you seen that work before?”
- When hiring: Require candidates to solve a real problem. Titles get resumes. Skills get results.
- For yourself: Decline roles that offer titles without tools to make impact.
The Takeaway
Titles are rented. Expertise is earned.
Stop promoting people for their ability to climb ladders. Start promoting them for their ability to build bridges.
The future belongs to those who do the work—not those who wear the costume.
What will you value more tomorrow: Someone’s title, or their track record?
P.S. The opposite of reading this post? Sharing it with someone who’s great at their job but lacks a fancy title. Do that. Now.