What to ask instead of the five-year question episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 1, 2026 · 18 MIN

What to ask instead of the five-year question

from Beyond Just Leadership · host Steven Allphin

"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 diesTwo high school coaches, weekly goals, and the three WsBob Ladouceur at De La Salle: winning games was never spoken of, because what you're building is individualsLarry Gelwix and the Highland rugby team: we not me, and what's important nowThe three questions that open a real career conversationMentorship the coach introduces and then leaves alone — no homework, no weekly mandateThe stretch goal my manager handed me at Zillow, and why he stayed quiet while I fielded the questionsProtected time on work hours, said out loud, with the team coveringMy daughter's first week of high school, and why her present is the whole jobOne 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.Free 1-on-1 Starter Kit: https://beyondjustleadership.com/links (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

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