Spotting and Filling Gaps Can Accelerate Careers, Says Former Lawyer

The column opens with a 1949 anecdote about Virginia Apgar, who transformed existing medical indicators into a quick scoring system for newborns, illustrating the value of turning a known gap into a usable tool. The author likens this to the Hawaiian word “puka,” taught by a volleyball coach to call out uncovered spaces on the court, and adopts it as a metaphor for career growth. By taking on disorganized medical files during a major trial, the writer created the first “puka,” which propelled him into a key role and later to a top global law firm.

The piece contends that leaders should nurture a culture where employees seek out and resolve unowned problems, noting AI integration as a contemporary example of a widespread gap. It emphasizes curiosity and decisive initiative as the twin behaviors needed to spot and close these openings, arguing that doing so makes individuals indispensable and drives organizational adaptability.