When competence becomes a liability

Competence is one of the most rewarded qualities in the workplace—it earns trust, opens doors, and creates opportunities. When something important needs to get done, organizations naturally gravitate toward the people who have demonstrated that they can handle it. For many high achievers, competence becomes a source of identity as much as a skill. They are the person who can step into a difficult conversation, untangle a messy problem, manage a crisis, or hold a complicated project together when everyone else is overwhelmed. Over time, others come to rely on them, and they come to rely on that role, too. At first glance, this seems entirely positive. After all, most leadership advice focuses on how to become more capable, more effective, and more reliable. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/cupofambition.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/cupofambition-mobile.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to A Cup of Ambition\u003C\/strong\u003E","dek":"A biweekly newsletter for high-achieving moms who value having a meaningful career \u003Cem\u003Eand\u003C\/em\u003E being an involved parent, by Jessica Wilen. To learn more visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/acupofambition.substack.com\/\u0022\u003Eacupofambition.substack.com\u003C\/a\u003E.","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"SIGN UP","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/acupofambition.substack.com\/","theme":{"bg":"#f5f5f5","text":"#000000","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","buttonBg":"#000000","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91454061,"imageMobileId":91454062,"shareable":false,"slug":"","wpCssClasses":""}} Yet one of the patterns I encounter most frequently in my coaching practice is that some of the most successful professionals I work with have become trapped by the very qualities that