I asked her, “Why do you want to?”

She hesitated. “You saw me in the training; I’m doing well, but I want to get to an even higher level. Doesn’t everyone?”

Here’s where I pushed her a bit. I wasn’t being difficult—I wanted her to understand her own motivation better. After a long pause, she admitted, “I don’t know. I guess I’ve always just strived for the highest I can.”

Lina’s challenge wasn’t lack of ambition or effort—it was something deeper. I pointed out that she tries really hard to win people over, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s not what’s needed at her level anymore.

Here’s the CEO secret I shared with Lina: When you’re just starting out, your job is to impress—your boss, your peers, your clients. But as you move up the ladder, your job shifts. It’s not about impressing anymore—it’s about being impressed. You need to let others impress you. The higher up you go, the less you know, the less you do, the more you accomplish. Your job now is to see the potential in others and draw it out.

You don’t have to be the smartest one in the room anymore. That’s not your role at this level. Instead of trying to outthink or outwork everyone, let your team come up with the ideas. Let the boss and clients share their insights. Giving others the space to impress you doesn’t make you weak—it makes you wise.