"Where do you see yourself in five years?" I've asked it. I thought I meant well. Then I watched it land like a test the person didn't study for. Most people don't have a five-year answer. They have a right-now answer, and you have to ask for it.
In this episode:
- Why the question sounds thoughtful and isn't, and what it costs you when the conversation dies
- Two high school coaches, weekly goals, and the three Ws
- Bob Ladouceur at De La Salle: winning games was never spoken of, because what you're building is individuals
- Larry Gelwix and the Highland rugby team: we not me, and what's important now
- The three questions that open a real career conversation
- Mentorship the coach introduces and then leaves alone — no homework, no weekly mandate
- The stretch goal my manager handed me at Zillow, and why he stayed quiet while I fielded the questions
- Protected time on work hours, said out loud, with the team covering
- My daughter's first week of high school, and why her present is the whole job
One correction: I say "Coach Lassiter" on air. The De La Salle coach is Bob Ladouceur — 151 straight wins, 1992 to 2004. Being teachable goes both ways.
Radical candor is Kim Scott's. The 85% figure is Korn Ferry.
- (00:00) - Cold Open
- (00:40) - Why the Five-Year Question Fails
- (01:58) - The Korn Ferry 85% Stat
- (03:34) - Coach Hesser & Coach Schaefer: Goals Now, the Three Ws
- (05:06) - Coach Ladouceur / De La Salle: Build Individuals
- (06:23) - Weekly Goals, Accountability & Adaptability
- (08:40) - Larry Gelwix: We Not Me, W.I.N.
- (09:44) - The Three Right-Now Questions
- (11:23) - Mentorship: Make the Introduction, Keep It Organic
- (12:28) - The Stretch Assignment: Zillow & Stan Humphries
- (13:49) - Protected Learning Time on Work Hours
- (15:36) - His Daughter's Freshman Year
- (17:06) - The Close: Move Their Present / PATC
What is Beyond Just Leadership?
🎙️ I love people. That's why I do this.
Beyond Just Leadership is a show about leading the person in front of you a little better. Not the title. Not the org chart. The human. I'm Steven Allphin, and each week I share the real stories behind how the best leaders build trust, help people find their why, and bring out the best in the ones they're responsible for.
Whether you're a CEO, a first-time manager, a parent, a teacher, or someone who just wants to make a difference where they are, you'll get honest lessons from life, family, and work — the kind that stick.
The title changes; the person doesn't. Lead deeper, lead people, lead well. And remember: it starts from within.