Exposure without preparation kills. Human history, in every age and culture, bears witness to a recurring mistake: The tendency to promote a man above his ability. At first glance, it may appear to be kindness, reward, or loyalty; in truth, it is a dangerous misplacement with consequences that ripple far beyond the individual concerned.

To promote a man above his ability is to burden him with expectations he cannot meet. It is to place him on a ladder whose rungs cannot carry his weight. What appears to be an elevation becomes a trap, and what is meant to honour him often ends by humiliating him.

This misjudgment is rooted in sentiment, favoritism, or the false hope that responsibility will somehow create ability. But responsibility does not automatically produce competence; instead, it exposes the lack of it. True ability grows through learning, discipline, and experience — not through premature elevation.

All of nature teaches us the wisdom of fitness. Birds soar because they are fitted for the skies; fish swim because they are fitted for the waters. A seed flourishes only in soil that matches its needs. In the same way, human beings thrive when responsibility is matched with ability.

When this principle is ignored, the outcome is predictable: strain, failure, and, often, ruin. The mismatch between task and talent always reveals itself — whether in a village council, a business boardroom, or the seat of government.

The dangers of promoting a man above his ability are not abstract; they are concrete and severe—and the blind can see them.

For the man himself, the new role turns into a stumbling block. He stumbles, doubts himself, and risks damaging his career and reputation. What was meant as honour becomes his undoing and leads to his downfall.

For the institution, the wrong man at the helm weakens the structure. Inefficiency spreads, standards fall, and the system becomes fragile.

Seeing unfair promotions creates resentment in others. Disregarding merit breeds discouragement and cultivates cynicism, potentially leading to crises.

The overall cost is greatest for society, in terms of governance. An ineffective leader misuses resources, falters in policy execution, and results in distress where advancement should occur.

The damage is not confined; it spreads outward in expanding circles — from the individual to the society.

This truth has been voiced across centuries. The philosophers of old warned that leadership is not a prize to be handed out but a burden to be borne only by the prepared. Plato compared governance to the steering of a ship: only a skilled navigator can guide it safely.

In modern times, management thinkers note the same pattern. The “Peter Principle” observes that people often rise until they reach their level of incompetence — the point at which they can no longer perform effectively. The wisdom is simple: ability must precede responsibility, not the other way around.

None of these denies the reality of growth. Men can and should grow into higher responsibilities. With training, mentorship, and gradual exposure, ability can be nurtured. But growth is a process, not a shortcut. To thrust a man unprepared into a role he cannot handle is not to encourage his growth, but to hasten his collapse.

Promotion is noble only when it matches readiness. Otherwise, it is like planting an unripe seedling in a storm — it will not stand.

Promoting a man above his ability may be dressed in the language of kindness, loyalty, or reward, but it is betrayal. It betrays the man by giving him a task designed to crush him. It betrays the institution by weakening its foundation. And it betrays society by sacrificing the common good to the whims of favoritism.

This represents cruelty rather than kindness; folly instead of wisdom—and the people suffer.

Genuine progress is only possible where responsibility and ability are aligned. This demands patience, fairness, and the courage to let merit guide elevation. It also requires humility from those who aspire to lead — the humility to accept that readiness comes through preparation, not presumption.

In the end, to promote a man above his ability is not an act of honor but of sabotage. It destroys confidence, corrodes institutions, and impoverishes society. Wisdom, therefore, lies in respecting the eternal law of fitness: to match responsibility with competence and to give power only to those who have grown strong enough to bear it.

Appearance is not only deceitful, but such deception can be worsened by immobilizing emotions that sedate and cause the loss of common sense.

All things follow the command of time, and when the moment arrives, every concealed matter comes to light.

It’s quite unfortunate that the glaring issue of incompetence continually confronts us!

Livy-Elcon Emereonye writes from Lagos Nigeria.