Doing Less Work and Less Quality Work

For a long time, I had a doubt. I know many people, who are very talented and they tried their best and reached a very high position in the society. After few years, they have resigned to their positions saying that, they could not do what they wanted to do.

I know that, if a person is in a position with some power and responsibility, it is very rare that, he/she can use the full power. Most of the time, that person's superiors control those powers directly or indirectly. For example, a Chief Minister cannot do whatever he/she wants to do in the state, eventhough he/she is the head of the state. The party/alliances/other political powers control most of them. A Chief Minister may be able to do on his/her own what a minister can do, and may not be more than that. Similarly, a minister may be able to do what a collector can do and so on.

My doubt was, they are in a good position and they can completely utilize their subordinates powers. Then, why do they resign? Why cannot they do in that (less) capacity only?

Recently, I realized that, it is very subjective. P.V.R.K.Prasad, Retired IAS officer and Secretary to P.V.Narasimha Rao, gave brief detail on this in his book Asalem Jarigindante. His batchmate in IAS, Abhash Chatterjee was very talented, and he was posted in Bihar. After 20 years in service, he told Prasad that he would be leaving the services. Prasad asked him why he was leaving, when he could do something to the society by continuing in the services. Chatterjee told him that, since all the politicians are not at all giving freedom, he was losing his creativity and also the enthusiasm to work, and is leaving. Prasad also mentioned that, Aruna Rai and Dr.Jayaprakash Narayan also left because of the similar reasons.

At that time, I realized that even I faced the same problem. If someone has some capability, and if they work much below to their capacity, then gradually, they lose their talent. It may take quite some time for them to regain it even after getting full power. Some times, if they take different approach, they may be able to do much better than what they could have done by continuing in the same position. Of course, it is very subjective, and it varies a lot from time to time. But, I am sure, continuing in a not so good position for 15 years will have negative impact for many people.