There’s a certain inevitability to leadership – no matter how high you climb. The view from the top is exhilarating at first—the accolades, the accomplishments, the recognition—but what happens when the climb slows, when the thrill of the ascent gives way to something far less glamorous? For those who’ve been at the top of their game for a while, the inevitable truth is this: cresting happens. And when it does, it’s not just about the shift in your role, it’s about the shift in how you see the world and your place in it.
So, you’ve spent years building a track record that’s nothing short of impressive. You’ve earned your stripes, weathered your fair share of butt-kicks, and carved a path that’s left a lasting impact on your team and your organization. You’ve given everything you’ve got to the cause, and you’ve made a difference—no doubt about it. But then, as time passes, the game starts to change.
You may not feel it at first, but eventually, you’ll notice that the energy isn’t quite the same. The problems people bring to you start to feel a little less urgent. Your responses—once full of fire—begin to take on a more measured, even detached tone. That’s what we call cresting. It’s the point at which the most exciting days of your leadership career are behind you, and the horizon begins to look a little different. The fire that once fueled you starts to flicker, and in its place, a sense of contentment begins to take hold. But with that contentment often comes a deep discomfort.
So what does it look like to lead after cresting, and how to turn this inevitable phase of your leadership into an opportunity to create even more impact than before?
The Crest
Imagine building a long and positive track record as a leader. You’ve earned your stripes through hard work, persistence, and dedication. You’ve suffered through, and learned from, many butt kicks. And you’ve given more to the organization than it has given to you. Most importantly, you’ve made the Holy Shift, making a real, positive, and enduring difference in the lives of those you’ve led. The organization and the people you’ve led are better off because of your contributions. You are at the top of your game.
One day you will walk into work and things will be different. Your energy will be different. People’s problems will seem just a little less significant, and your response when they bring them to you will register with a hint of dispassion. These changes will be barely noticeable at first. But after teetering over the summit of your leadership game, every successive day thereafter will be stretched out over a long, slow decline. Like a reflection of life itself, nobody leads forever.
One cold reality on the backside of the crest is that you will never have a leadership role of the same significance as the one you hold now. This is it. There is no larger mountain to climb. Having something to prove is hugely motivating for your career because it stiffens your sense of purpose. At the later stage of your leadership career, though, you’ve already proven yourself. The ambition it once took to make your mark and establish your worth is less necessary. In between mustered-up spikes in enthusiasm, t here’s a more general lack of excitement. Cresting comes with a loss of belly-fi re that only a been- there-d one- that seasoned leaders can fully comprehend. At the tail end of your leadership career, purpose may give way to listlessness.
Creating Opportunities
Leaders get jazzed by creating opportunities to grow and develop people and organizations. Much of the excitement of leadership comes from the opportunities that leaders are able to identify, shape, and exploit. In a very real way, leaders are opportunity creators.
One of my previous books, Leaders Open Doors, highlights the central leadership responsibility of opening doors of opportunity for others. There is something completely energizing and gratifying about using your influence for the good of others. For this reason, leaders are constantly on the lookout for skill-stretching, spirit-stirring, and standard-raising opportunities—for the people they lead, and for themselves.
What makes cresting so challenging for the seasoned leader is that there are fewer doors of opportunity to charge through. The fewer opportunities there are, the more uncomfortable the leader gets. The leader may feel acutely fearful or panicked.
Continuing the Climb
As you reflect on what it means to crest in your leadership journey, I want to leave you with this: the true test of a seasoned leader isn’t how high you climb or how hard you fight to stay at the top, but how you respond when the climb slows down, when the world no longer expects you to be the one with all the answers. You see, the key to navigating the backside of the mountain lies in how you handle the inevitable change. And here’s the thing: just because the summit behind you grows distant, doesn’t mean you can’t still play a powerful role.
In those quieter moments, when the roar of ambition fades and the rush of daily victories has subsided, your value as a leader is often tested not by your influence, but by your ability to create influence in others. You’ve already proved your worth. Now, it’s about helping others rise, opening doors that have yet to be opened, and finding new ways to shape your legacy.
So, if you’re feeling that tug of listlessness, or sensing that your leadership fire isn’t quite as hot as it once was, take a moment to shift the focus. Leadership doesn’t stop just because the thrill fades. It simply changes shape. The next great chapter for you might not be about charging through doors, but about passing the keys to the next generation of leaders, guiding them through their own ascension.
You’ve earned your stripes, but don’t let the lack of new mountains stop you from continuing to lead—this time, from a place of wisdom and legacy.
As you inevitably feel yourself cresting as a leader, how will you adjust and try to continue the climb? It might be as simple as creating opportunities.
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This is post is based on an excerpt from Leadership Kick In The Ass
Image by Devraj Bajgain from Pixabay
