A few months after I was posted as Trivandrum Police Commissioner, one senior DIG (Deputy Inspector General of Police) pulled me aside and said, “You are too quiet. Not much is heard about you.”
“Look at these other police chiefs who are always making news. You should also be more active and get more media coverage.”
I wanted to tell him, “Sir, I am in the business of policing, not circus.” But I did not have the heart to do that.
So I just told him, “Sir, I am doing my job as best as I can. I can’t help it if it does not get media coverage.”
I have absolutely no claims of having done anything wonderful as a cop. But I served for more than three years in that role (one of the longest tenures, historically), and finally had to request to be moved out so that I could prep for my MBA.
In the short term, making noise can help. But in the long run, it is quiet efficiency that triumphs.
Doing your work quietly is highly underrated.