The Wrong Altitude

The wrong altitude.

When a leader tells me they’re working harder than ever and making less impact, I don’t ask them to work harder. I ask them where they’re spending their time.

Almost always, forty to sixty percent of their week is on work that belongs below their level. Not because they’re incompetent — because they’re comfortable there. That’s where their expertise lives. That’s where they built the reputation that got them promoted.

Your old expertise isn’t just less valuable at the new altitude. In some cases, it’s actively working against you.

Every hour you spend on work below your level is an hour you’re not spending on the work your role actually requires.

You’re not failing. You’re operating at the wrong altitude.