A Squeaky Nail, or the Wheel That Sticks Out

The quacking duck gets shot.

The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

I always understood the "nail that sticks up" as analogous to a "tall poppy" rather than a "squeaking wheel". I.e. someone who is too visibly doing well in an environment where everyone is supposed to be oppressed by staying buried in the wood.

In my experience, these are often leadership failures. Many people can generally understand competing priorities and prioritization, even if they might disagree with them. They often lack the context.

It's good to understand when to push and how much. It's also necessary for leaders to walk through why some things have to burn for a while because of resourcing trade-offs.

And I say this as a manager. This is part of my responsibility. I should be able to explain to everyone why we're saying no to what we are or, if there's new information from people who are squeaking, incorporating that and adjust direction.

The squeaky nail always gets attention—sometimes it pays to stand out, sometimes to stay quiet.

Chinese: "The crying baby gets the milk."