The "hot shot rule" to help you become a better leader | Kat Cole (re-release)

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Kat Cole argues that confidence is built through repeated action, not the other way around. Drawing on her upbringing and career, she introduces the “hotshot rule”: regularly imagine a person you admire in your role, ask what they’d do differently, act within 24 hours, then tell the people involved. She frames this as a practical habit to overcome complacency, strengthen leadership, and act your way into growth.

Main Topics: Confidence comes from action (Priority: 5/5): Cole challenges the idea that confidence must precede bold behavior. She defines confidence as reliance on someone’s abilities, saying repeated action and practice create that trust over time. The origin of the hotshot rule (Priority: 4/5): She traces the practice to advice she heard early in her career about imagining someone else in her role. This evolved into a structured self-coaching method for decision-making and leadership. Lessons from her mother’s decisive action (Priority: 5/5): Cole uses her mother leaving an alcoholic husband as a formative example of breaking inertia. Her mother’s resilience and lack of a playbook shaped Cole’s belief in taking action despite uncertainty. Leading through reflection and accountability (Priority: 5/5): The hotshot rule includes reflection, a concrete action within 24 hours, and public follow-through with those affected. This builds both personal growth and a reputation for vulnerability and bias for action. Complacency as a leadership risk (Priority: 4/5): Cole warns that success can blind leaders to needed change. She argues that regular self-challenge is especially important when things are going well, not only in crisis. Weekly practice as a habit of growth (Priority: 4/5): What began as a quarterly or monthly exercise is now a weekly Sunday ritual. She presents consistency as what turns the method into a powerful engine for improvement.

Key Arguments: Confidence is the result of repeated action; "reps of action" build trust in abilities. Bold action does not require preexisting confidence; taking action generates confidence. People often wait for leaders to act, so leadership includes being the one who moves first. Success and stability can create complacency, making proactive self-challenge essential. Imagining an admired person in your role creates accountability and reveals better choices. A good leadership practice must include both action and transparency with others after the decision is made. Regular repetition of a simple reflective practice can produce meaningful cumulative change over time.

Data Points: Age when her mother left her father: 9 - Cole recalls being nine years old when her mother decided to leave her alcoholic father. Age when Cole worked in malls: 15 - She describes starting work very young, beginning in malls at 15. Age when she became a hostess: 17 - Her early work progression included being a restaurant hostess at 17. Age when she became a waitress: 18 - Cole says she was a waitress at 18. Age when she began her leadership journey: 19 - She started opening franchises around the world at 19. Age when she was an executive: 26 - By 26, she was an executive in a very large company. Practice frequency at time of talk: Weekly - She now practices the hotshot rule every Sunday at 1 p.m. Earlier practice frequency: Quarterly, then monthly - Cole explains that the habit became more effective as she increased its cadence. Time frame for action: 24 hours - A core rule is to act on the insight within 24 hours. Annual action count: 52 things - Weekly practice can produce 52 actions a year that might otherwise not happen or happen more slowly.

Pivotal Quotes: "Confidence is just the reliance or assurance that we believe in someone's abilities or qualities." — Kat Cole: She opens by defining confidence and reframing it as something observable through actions. "I think the opposite is true. It's action, just getting comfortable with it over time, doing more and better regularly." — Kat Cole: Cole directly rejects the idea that confidence must come first, arguing that action creates it. "What's one thing that person I admire would do differently to make that situation better, acting on it within 24 hours." — Kat Cole: She explains the core steps of the hotshot rule as a decision-and-action framework.

Implications: For listeners, the talk offers a simple leadership habit: reflect, choose one better action, and do it fast. For teams, it encourages accountability, faster change, and less complacency. For leaders, confidence becomes a practice, not a personality trait.