Especially if you don't have a job that's providing fulfillment

Mitchell Baker, the guiding force behind Mozilla and the open web, once spoke these words: “Especially if you don’t have a job that’s providing fulfillment in your technical expertise, there is a lot of reward to working on a very smart and demanding community that will respect you and will give you leadership and authority based on what you do.” In these words lies the ancient truth that true worth is not always measured by titles or salaries, but by the respect earned in the fellowship of a shared cause.

The meaning of this saying is layered with wisdom. Many seek fulfillment in their daily jobs, yet not every labor offers nourishment to the soul. Sometimes one’s gifts are left unused, one’s talents unrecognized. Baker reminds us that the human spirit is not chained to the narrow borders of employment. Beyond the walls of the workplace, there exist communities—gatherings of minds and hearts—where a person can find both belonging and purpose. It is in these spaces that authority is not bestowed by contract, but by deeds.

The origin of her insight is rooted in the world of open-source software, where armies of volunteers from across the globe labor together for the sake of a common vision. In these communities, there are no kings crowned by wealth, no rulers enthroned by title. Respect and leadership are earned by those who contribute, who teach, who uplift. In such a society, the quiet coder who gives her time and skill may rise higher in influence than the executive seated on high. Thus Baker, who nurtured Mozilla into a force for freedom on the web, teaches that in such communities, true fulfillment may be found.

History, too, offers a parallel. Consider Florence Nightingale, who in the Crimean War stepped into chaos where official systems had failed. She was not granted authority by generals, nor promoted by armies. Yet through her tireless service, her clarity of vision, and her ability to organize, she won the trust of soldiers and leaders alike. Her leadership was not handed down; it rose from action. She built a community of nurses who transformed medicine itself, proving that the deepest authority is always earned, never merely given.

Baker’s words remind us that the reward of life is not only in wealth or recognition, but in the fellowship of those who see us for what we give. A man may feel trapped in a job that starves his spirit, but if he brings his gifts to a community, whether of learning, of service, or of creation, he will find respect and authority springing up around him. In such places, people look not at resumes or status, but at actions—the steady hand, the wise word, the willingness to shoulder responsibility.

The lesson is clear: if your job does not fulfill you, do not despair. Seek out a community where your gifts can blossom. Offer what you know. Give what you can. Build patiently. Respect and leadership will follow not from demand, but from devotion. For in every true community, honor flows not to the proud, but to the faithful worker who labors with skill and sincerity.

So what must you do? Begin where you stand. If you have skill in craft, share it. If you have wisdom, teach it. If you have strength, lend it to the weak. Find the community that demands your best, and give it freely. You will discover, as Baker did, that while jobs may fade and titles be forgotten, the respect of a community, earned by deeds, is a crown that cannot be taken away.

Thus, remember her teaching: fulfillment is not only in what you are given, but in what you give. Seek the fellowship of the wise and the striving, and there you will find your greatest reward. For where community thrives, the individual soul is lifted—and where the individual gives, the community itself is strengthened for generations to come.