The short of it is this:
We spend our working days (we used to call them "careers") uninspired and unproductive because of unsupportive micro-managers, demanding clients, unreasonable delays and impossible requests.
Or as Richard Boyatzis says in his book Resonant Leadership:
"Even the best leaders—those who can create resonance—must give of themselves constantly. For many people, especially the busy executives we work with, little value is placed on renewal, or developing practices—habits of mind, body, and behavior—that enable us to create and sustain resonance in the face of unending challenges, year in and year out. In fact, it is often just the opposite. Many organizations overvalue certain kinds of destructive behavior and tolerate discord and mediocre leadership for a very long time, especially if a person appears to produce results. Not much time—or encouragement—is given for cultivating skills and practices that will counter the effects of our stressful roles."
It's no wonder we don't know how to innovate, collaborate or simply get along. We are burdened to shift down to third gear or to auto-pilot just to survive.
When that happens the only one you can pull you out of it is yourself. Don't expect a mentor, HR, a new boss, or the next next job to turn things around. It begins with you.
The Boston Works article states:
"The two most important types of training teach you how to understand yourself and how to function in an office. To a large extent, you have to take responsibility for training yourself in these areas. You can't learn this stuff passively, like memorizing key dates in US history."
The solution: get a coach (or better a kpedia consultant)
And here is an excerpt of Resonant Leadership which includes three quick and telling exercises to get you started on becoming self-aware. I especially like the "wake up call" and the "where am I" exercises.
Here's a review of Resonant Leadership by Business Week. They say
"The Good: How to heed those "wake-up calls" and be a more mindful and effective exec.
The Bad: A touch of New Age rhetoric may grate on some readers.
The Bottom Line: Profiles of leaders and drills for self-improvement make for worthwhile reading.