Why do you want to lead?
There are only two honest answers. They look almost identical from the outside. They change everything about how a company runs.
A two-minute read
Two CEOs. Same job. Opposite reasons.
Shay is the new CEO of an alarm company. It's not going well, and he can't figure out why.
He swallows his pride and asks Liam, who runs the best alarm company around: “How do you do it?”
Liam doesn't look at Shay's numbers. He looks at Shay's calendar. Calendars don't lie.
The pattern: Shay skips every leadership job that feels tedious, awkward, or repetitive. He kept the enjoyable work and handed off the important work.
So Liam asks the only question that matters: “Why did you want this job in the first place?”
Shay wanted the prize. Liam accepted the responsibility. Same title, opposite jobs. That one difference explains both companies.
The Trophy Leader vs. the Caretaker Leader
Tap each one. Same week, same company. Watch where the time goes.
“I earned this. Now I get to do what I like.”
Leading feels like a reward, so the un-fun parts feel optional.
- Picks the exciting work: big ideas, big deals, being seen.
- Hands off the people work: “that's what my managers are for.”
- Dodges awkward conversations and tedious meetings. States the plan once, then moves on.
How it ends: a confused team, slow decisions, problems nobody names, and a leader asking “why can't they just figure it out?”
The five jobs only the leader can do
These are the jobs Trophy Leaders quietly hand off or skip. You can build tools and teams around them. You can never give them away. Tap each one open.
Which leader showed up this month?
Five questions. Answer for the last 30 days: the calendar's version of you, not your best self. Nobody sees this but you.
1. Is there a hard conversation you've been putting off for two weeks or more?
2. Do you privately find most of the meetings you run tedious?
3. Do you mostly let your best people run without real check-ins?
4. How often has your team heard the #1 priority from you this month?
5. Honestly: does the leader seat feel more like something you earned than something you owe?
Answered 0 of 5
Your score changes week to week. Re-take it on a tired one.
Three moves. All small. All this week.
Before saying yes to any leader seat (a role, a promotion, a committee), ask: “Do I want the five jobs, or the trophy?” Saying the answer to another person keeps it honest. Not wanting the jobs is a fine answer. Taking the seat anyway is the only wrong one.
Count the hours last month that went to the five jobs. That's the test Liam ran on Shay. Not what you believe about your leadership, what your calendar proves.
Pick the one you dodge most. The mirror above just told you. Put it on the calendar for a specific day this week. One job taken back usually pulls the others along.
If the mirror raised a question worth sitting with, that's the page doing its job. Take one of the three moves into this week.
No. 01 is based on The Motive (2020) by Patrick M. Lencioni. This is our own summary. The book is worth your two hours.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the author or The Table Group. © 2026 Rucker Solutions LLC.