The “Go-To Person” Trap: Why Reliable = Stuck
We worked with a Senior Engineering Manager recently who couldn’t understand why he wasn’t being considered for next roles.
His manager’s feedback: “You’re doing great. Keep it up.”
His reality: 10 years at the company. Same level for 4 years.
When we dug deeper, the pattern was clear:
He had become so good at solving critical problems that leadership couldn’t imagine him NOT solving those problems.
The conversation that never happened:
“Should we promote him to Director?”
“But then who will handle the database migrations?”
“Who will fix the production issues?”
“Who will mentor the junior team?”
He wasn’t stuck because he lacked capability.
He was stuck because he’d become too valuable in his current position.
This is the “go-to person” trap:
→ You’re reliable, so you get more responsibility
→ More responsibility makes you more indispensable
→ Being indispensable makes you harder to move
→ Being harder to move keeps you stuck
The insight most professionals miss:
Being great at execution doesn’t equal leadership potential in leadership’s eyes.
It equals “we need them right where they are.”
What breaks this pattern:
Not being less capable.
But being strategic about:
– Which problems you solve (not all of them)
– How you delegate (building your replacement)
– Where you spend visibility time (strategic vs. tactical)
– What leadership sees you doing (firefighting vs. strategic thinking)
The professionals who advance are the ones who made themselves replaceable in their current role while becoming essential at the next level.
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We help mid-senior professionals navigate this exact transition.
Learn more → https://24x7coach.com/
