A real story about what changed when one exec finally asked: “If someone amazing took over my job tomorrow… what would they do differently?”
I was working with a regional business head at a global tech firm. Let’s call him Ravi.
Smart guy. Solid operator. Trusted to steady the ship when things got rough. He wasn’t flashy, but he was dependable. The kind of leader who quietly keeps the machine running.
But lately, something was off.
Despite everything he’d done for the company, his name just wasn’t coming up for the global roles. You know the ones—the next big thing.
In one of our coaching sessions, he finally said,
“I feel like I’ve done everything right. But it’s like… they’re looking for something I’m not showing.”
So I asked him a simple question I’ve used with a lot of leaders over the years:
“If a total rockstar replaced you tomorrow, what would they do that you’re not doing right now?”
There was this pause. Then he looked up and said,
“They’d probably clean house a bit. Let go of a few folks I’ve been carrying. Push harder on innovation. Probably get closer to key customers again. And they’d be way more direct in leadership meetings than I’ve been.”
He sighed. Then added, almost under his breath,
“I think I’ve been managing... not really leading.”
That’s when the conversation got real.
What was actually going on?
Ravi wasn’t failing. He wasn’t even struggling. He was just stuck in “good enough” mode.
To his team, he was the reliable one. To his bosses, he was solid. But he wasn’t stretching. He wasn’t shaking things up.
And the truth is, that’s what kept him out of the running.
He’d been doing the job well, but he wasn’t showing that he could lead the business beyond where it already was.
The signs were there:
He’d been avoiding some tough people decisions
His leadership voice had gone a little too quiet
He wasn’t pushing the boundaries like he used to
And he was waiting to be tapped on the shoulder, rather than putting himself out there
The "hot shot" question just brought it all into focus.
What changed in the next 90 days?
We didn’t do anything radical. No big reinvention. But we did make a few key shifts:
He started acting like he already had the bigger role. That one move changed how others saw him.
Here’s what he did:
He reworked his narrative in meetings Started speaking like someone influencing strategy, not just reporting on performance.
He made two overdue people decisions These weren’t easy, but the team felt the impact right away. More energy, better focus, faster movement.
He got closer to the customer Took the lead on a bold pilot he knew a “hot shot” would’ve grabbed. It paid off.
He listened more, especially deeper in the org Skip-level sessions. Fresh perspective. He used those insights to shift priorities. It landed well.
And slowly, people around him started saying things like,
“He’s playing at a different level now.”
Six months later...
He got the offer. A global strategy role. The kind of role he used to quietly hope for, but didn’t think he’d be tapped for.
And here’s the thing—he didn’t become someone else. He just started leading like the version of himself the business actually needed.
Here’s the part most leaders miss
You don’t get stuck because you’re not performing.
You get stuck when you start coasting, just a little. When your habits stay the same while the business moves on. When people respect you, but no one’s betting on you.
The "hot shot" question works because it makes you see the role from the outside. With fresh eyes. And honestly, it doesn’t always feel good.
But it works.
So here’s something worth asking yourself:
If someone new—really sharp, high-impact—walked into your role today…
What’s the first thing they’d change that you’ve been avoiding?
Who would they promote? Who would they… not?
What tough calls would they make that you’ve delayed?
Would they raise the bar? Or shake the table?
And most of all— Would your team say, “Wow, this is what we needed” …or would they say, “We should’ve done this sooner”?
If that hit a nerve
You’re not alone. I’ve coached plenty of leaders who were doing fine, but could feel that the window was starting to close. They didn’t need to work harder. They just needed to shift how they showed up.
