The Career Trap No One Talks About

I see this pattern with high-achieving leaders often.

You look around and realize you’re carrying the heaviest load, except the room doesn’t treat you like the future leader.

You're respected for your output, and you're trusted to execute. You're the person who can be counted on to handle the hard things, fix what's broken, and keep everything moving. But you're not being rewarded with the kind of influence, visibility, or sponsorship that actually propels you forward.

That’s the competence trap. 

The Pattern That Keeps Leaders Stuck

I've watched this pattern play out countless times with the leaders I work with. They're working harder than ever, delivering results and earning strong reviews. But somehow their career momentum has stalled.

The better you get at execution, the harder it becomes for others (and even for you) to see you as a strategic leader. You're stuck in the trenches when you should be shaping direction at the next level.

When Your Strengths Work Against You

Here's what happens. The behaviors that got you here start working against you. Your reliability makes you indispensable right where you are. Your problem-solving skills keep you focused on fixing things instead of designing outcomes. Your willingness to step in becomes the reason you're not invited into strategic conversations.

Research backs this up. Robert Kaplan and David Norton found that 90% of organizations fail to execute their strategic goals. That's not just a company problem. It's a leadership problem. And it often starts with leaders trapped in patterns that no longer serve them.

The Truth Most Leaders Miss

The truth is this: you've become really good at the very things that no longer move you forward.

So what do you do about it?

Five Steps to Break Free

First, build awareness. Notice your patterns without judgment. Where are you defaulting to being the workhorse instead of the strategic leader? What are you saying yes to out of habit, not intention?

Second, make a real decision. Decide you're done operating as the person who fixes everything and ready to become the leader who shapes outcomes.

Third, set a clear goal. Vague goals keep you stuck. Choose one bold outcome for the next 12 months that will require you to grow into the leader you want to become.

Four, begin acting from your future self.  You’ll only operate at the level of the person you believe yourself to be.  Begin adopting the identity of your Future Self - let’s say, the respected, strategic leader you aspire to BE, then you’ll naturally start building the habits that match that self-image. 

Five, build in accountability. Think of accountability like an insurance policy against slipping back into the workhorse role.  Share your goals and desired outcome with a trusted friend, colleague, mentor or coach, and report back weekly.

Where Transformation Begins

If you’ve struggled to break through to your next level of leadership, it’s not because you lack talent, discipline, or ambition.

The leaders who rise don’t wait for the system to change first. They change how they lead themselves which is exactly why the five steps you've learned here today are essential.

Curious to learn more about the Competence Trap?  Watch my video: