The “hot shot rule” to help you become a better leader | Kat Cole

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Kat Cole argues that confidence is built through action, not the other way around. Drawing on her mother’s example and her own career, she introduces the “hotshot rule”: regularly imagine an admired person in your role, identify one better action, do it within 24 hours, and tell others. The practice combats complacency, builds growth, and creates a reputation for accountability and bias toward action.

Main Topics: Confidence as a product of action (Priority: 5/5): Cole reframes confidence as something earned through repeated behavior and visible follow-through, rather than a prerequisite for boldness. Complacency and self-coaching (Priority: 5/5): She warns that success can blind people to stagnation, so intentional self-coaching is needed even when things are going well. Lessons from her mother’s courage (Priority: 4/5): Cole uses her mother leaving an alcoholic husband as a formative example of decisive action in the face of hardship. Career growth without outside-in guidance (Priority: 4/5): Her early career advancement lacked mentorship, prompting her to develop internal practices to stretch her thinking and performance. The hotshot rule as a repeatable practice (Priority: 5/5): Cole explains her method: imagine an admired person in your role, ask what they would do differently, act within 24 hours, and then communicate it. Personal and organizational impact (Priority: 4/5): She describes how the practice has improved relationships, accountability, and business decisions, including stopping comfortable but unhelpful initiatives.

Key Arguments: Confidence is built by action and repetition; “reps of action” create assurance over time. People often wait for confidence before acting, but Cole argues action comes first and generates confidence. Complacency is a major threat during periods of success, so growth requires deliberate disruption of routine. Self-coaching can substitute for missing mentorship by forcing reflection, accountability, and better decisions. The hotshot rule turns reflection into behavior change by requiring action within 24 hours and public follow-through. Regular use of the hotshot rule creates a bias for action, vulnerability, and a stronger reputation with teams. The practice is useful not only in crises but especially in stable periods when it is easiest to coast.

Data Points: Age when her mother left her father: 9 - Cole recalls being nine when her mother decided to leave an alcoholic husband. Age when she started working in malls: 15 - She describes beginning work very young as part of her early independence. Age when she became a restaurant hostess: 17 - Part of her progression through early jobs. Age when she became a waitress: 18 - Another step in her early work experience. Age when she began her leadership journey: 19 - She says she started opening franchises around the world at 19. Age when she was an executive in a large company: 26 - She notes reaching executive level by 26. Hotshot rule cadence: Weekly - She says the practice evolved from quarterly to monthly to weekly. Weekly reflection time: Sunday at 1 p.m. - She sets aside this time for the hotshot rule practice. Children’s ages: 5 and 7 - She references her kids while describing her weekly routine. Action window: Within 24 hours - The hotshot rule requires acting on the insight within a day. Annual output of the practice: 52 things - She says weekly practice yields 52 actions in a year that might not otherwise happen.

Pivotal Quotes: "Confidence is just the reliance or assurance that we believe in someone's abilities or qualities." — Kat Cole: She defines confidence at the start of her talk. "It's action, just getting comfortable with it over time, doing more and better regularly. It's reps of action that drive confidence." — Kat Cole: She explains her core thesis that action precedes confidence. "What's one thing that person I admire would do differently to make that situation better, acting on it within 24 hours, and then that's not the last step, telling those involved once things get put in motion." — Kat Cole: She describes the hotshot rule and its required steps.

Implications: Listeners can use a simple reflection-to-action habit to overcome fear, avoid complacency, and build credibility. For leaders, the method encourages faster decisions, accountability, and continuous improvement.