Why Can't the Hotshot be ME!

In the mid 1960’s, George Leonard conducted research for Look magazine on the subject of human potential. He interviewed countless psychiatrists, brain researchers, and philosophers across America on the subject of potential and found that “not one of them said we were using more than 10% of our capacity.” His conclusion was that most of us were living far below our potential, leaving an enormous amount of our capacity unused and undeveloped. Leonard subsequently devoted his life to promoting the idea that humans can experience an exceptional quality of life filled with happiness, creativity, and fulfillment when they simply strive to reach their potential.

I often think about Leonard’s research during Elul, the season of improving ourselves. We tend to get stuck in a fixed mindset that says, “I am who I am, I’ve always been this way, and I am trying my hardest.” Our list of things to improve upon seems eerily familiar one year to the next and so we simply assume that, for the most part, who I am now is all that I can become.

What if Leonard is correct, though? What if each one of us has an enormous reservoir of untapped potential that, if properly accessed, can take us to new and greater heights and allow us to become better versions of ourselves?

The Mishnah at the beginning of Maseches Rosh Hashanah teaches that “the first day of Elul is Rosh Hashanah for ma’aser beheimah.” The literal meaning of this teaching is that we may not tithe the animals of the new year together with the animals from the past year; Rosh Hashanah marks a new year for this tithing. But perhaps we can read this Mishnah homiletically to mean that on Rosh Chodesh Elul, we begin to remove our lowest, most animalistic traits. As the month progresses, so do we. We elevate ourselves above our baser instincts and are able to reveal the hidden Godliness and capabilities latent in each of us.

But, how do we get there? How do we break free and uncover that dormant and undeveloped potential? A few years ago, I read an article about an executive named Kat Cole, who provided a suggestion that has completely changed my way of thinking. Cole’s resume is impressive. She is the CEO of AG1 and previously served as COO and president of Focus Brands, which owns Cinnabon, Carvel, Auntie Anne's, and other popular franchises.

But, as impressive as her resume is, Cole thrives on self-reflection and constant improvement. She believes that we can become so blinded by our own habits and routines that we stop taking a step back to ask what is working and what we could be doing better. Cole employs a method of personal accountability, with a strong belief that it's never too late to act and that there’s always room to improve.

She calls it the "Hot Shot Rule.”

Here’s how it works. Once in a while, go somewhere quiet and ask yourself, “If a hotshot came in and took over my job, someone who is amazingly talented and impressive, what would they immediately be doing differently? What would they see and change right away?” The action plan is pretty straightforward: answer those questions, and then do those things!

After reflecting, make sure to ask yourself the most important question of all: “Why can’t the hotshot be ME!”

Her method works because through the “hotshot’s” perspective, it becomes much easier to recognize our own blind spots, flaws, and areas for improvement. “They realize somebody who is awesome would find this or that unacceptable,” Cole says. “And they take action on it. Think of the opportunities to grow that you could miss, but that are well within your capability to harness."

Since reading her article, I personally have used the Hot Shot Rule several times to challenge myself to change and improve. Whenever I find myself stuck in a particular pattern of thinking, behavior, or habit, whether in my professional or personal life, I employ Cole’s tactic, and it changes my perspective. I found myself constantly asking question like: “How would a hotshot father react in this situation?” “What would a hotshot health and wellbeing guru do now?” Or, “What does a hotshot servant of Hashem look like and why can’t that be me?”

Each one of us has so much potential for greatness. Don’t let it remain untapped and undeveloped. Because as we approach Rosh Hashanah and dream of the people we want to become, ask yourself, “why can’t the hotshot be ME!”