Friday espresso: Before the Next Promotion, Ask This One Question
Jun 05, 2026 1:01 am
Rise and Shine!
Let's brew our espresso for an insightful shot!
Before the Next Promotion, Ask This One Question
When I was young, I desperately wanted my older brother’s badminton racquet.
I was convinced it was better than mine. It looked better, and somehow seemed like the thing that would make me a better player. Eventually, I got it. And to my surprise, it wasn't what I expected.There was nothing wrong with the racquet. But it didn't feel like mine.
Recently, I have found myself thinking about that experience again, because I see a grown-up version of it playing out in many organisations.
We see talented people doing exceptional work and naturally want to reward them. We offer a promotion, a bigger title, a larger team, more responsibility. We call it recognition. We call it career progression. And often, it is exactly the right thing to do.
But sometimes, we hand someone a role simply because it looks like the next logical step, without stopping to ask whether it is actually the path they want.
Years later, they are still successful on paper. But somewhere along the way, they stopped feeling connected to the work itself.
After nearly three decades working alongside leaders and organisations, I have come to believe that while many organisations are very good at helping people climb, far fewer are helping people choose.
And that difference matters more than we realise.
WHY Are So Many Leaders Quietly Disengaging
🪜 Because we often equate growth with upward movement. Many organisations define success as the next promotion, larger responsibilities, or broader authority. Yet not every talented individual finds fulfillment in the same path.
🎯 Because achievement and alignment are not the same thing. Someone can be highly capable in a role and still feel disconnected from it. External success does not automatically create internal fulfillment.
🔍 Because self-awareness is often missing from leadership development. We spend significant time building skills, competencies, and performance, but much less time helping leaders understand what genuinely motivates, energises, and matters to them.
WHAT Am I Seeing More Clearly
🌱 Leadership development needs to start from the inside out. Before discussing promotions, succession plans, or career pathways, we need to create space for people to understand who they are and what kind of work gives them meaning.
💭 The best career decision is not always the most obvious one. Sometimes the right choice is not the next rung on the ladder, but a different direction entirely. A path that aligns more closely with someone's strengths, values, and aspirations.
💛 Great leaders are not simply developed through opportunity. They are developed through conscious choice. The leaders who sustain energy, purpose, and impact over time are often those who have intentionally chosen their path, rather than simply following expectations.
HOW Can Organisations Help Leaders Choose, Not Just Climb
👂 Create space for deeper career conversations. Move beyond discussions about performance and promotion. Ask questions about purpose, fulfillment, strengths, and long-term aspirations.
🧭 Redefine what growth can look like. Not every career journey needs to follow the same upward trajectory. Growth can include mastery, contribution, influence, learning, or creating impact in different ways.
🤝 Help leaders develop self-awareness early. The earlier people understand what drives them, what drains them, and what success genuinely means to them, the better decisions they can make throughout their careers.
What stays with me is this:
The greatest leadership conversations are rarely about titles.They are about identity.
About helping someone understand who they are becoming, what matters most to them, and whether the path they are pursuing truly belongs to them.
Because leadership is not simply about climbing higher. It is about choosing wiser
And perhaps one of the most important questions any organisation can ask is not:
"How do we help our leaders advance?"
But rather:
"How do we help them discover where they genuinely want to go?"
Visit koolily.net for more Leadership, Change and Heart content.
If this resonates with you, let's talk. The conversations that help leaders discover who they are — and where they truly want to go — are skills that can be learned, practised, and embedded into your leadership culture.
Reach out to explore how we can help your organisation create the kind of conversations that unlock potential, surface identity, and help your leaders choose their path with clarity and confidence.
Email us at: [email protected]
Contact us: +60 12-773 1692
That’s the espresso, keep the momentum! ☕😌
Stay caffeinated & curious!
Koo Lily
l Founder of mq Training Coaching Consulting l
Leadership Coach l Change Facilitator l Speaker l
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