This is an interesting article on why you might be unhappy at work. It relies on whether or not you have a power motive (need to get things done, put discipline in place) or an affiliation motive (make friends, feel like you belong, joy). If you’re in a job that is the opposite (you’re a strong power person, but you’re in a job where everything is dependent on influencing others), you’re probably going to struggle and feel stress.
I never thought about it…I usually picked roles because 1) someone asked me to, 2) it was something new I hadn’t done and sounded interesting. But I think this provides another lens to view roles and opportunities. It explains why I found it so hard going from Citi (power culture) to American Express (affiliation culture). Depending on the predominant culture, your behavior might need to adapt. I found I needed to spend more time gaining consensus.
You’re always going to need both the power traits (ability to be credible) and the affiliation traits (likeability). But it might be helpful to know when you’re going against your nature.
