Possible Selves: When Success Stops Working
How imagining who you could be helps you rediscover who you are.
Hubert Joly, the former CEO of Best Buy, once described hitting a mid-career plateau.
On paper, he had everything — partner at McKinsey, a top executive role, the markers of success. But he felt empty, like he was “just going through the motions.”
That feeling isn’t failure. It isn’t crisis. It’s a signal that success alone is no longer enough.
So what do you do when the old sources of motivation stop working, and you can’t see the next step?
Ten Futures, No Judgment
Leadership scholar Herminia Ibarra suggests one of the most effective ways out of stuckness: exploring your Possible Selves.
Possible selves are the different versions we hope, fear, or dream of becoming — and by imagining them without judgment, we uncover hidden values, desires, and directions that reveal what truly matters.
Here’s how to try it:
Set a timer for 20 minutes.
Write down ten or more ideas of what you fear, expect or hope you become.
Don’t judge. Go wide. Even unrealistic ideas count!
Reflect on:
What did I learn about myself given these futures?
What do you want to do now that you know this?
👉 My challenge to you: Take 20 minutes and write down your ten selves. Push past the first obvious few — that’s when the surprises appear. Download the worksheet or just write it down.
From Special Ops to Change Leadership
I once worked with a leader in the finance industry who tried this exercise.
Among his ten selves, one stood out: a member of a special ops team. On the surface, it seemed unrelated to banking. But when we unpacked it, the insight was clear: what he really craved was solving high-stakes challenges and helping people under pressure.
Those values didn’t require a military career. He could live them out in his leadership today. That realization led him to join his bank’s change leadership team, where he channeled the same drive to tackle tough challenges and serve others — but in a way aligned with his career path.
Sometimes the most unlikely “self” is the one that points us back to what matters most.
Your Turn!
Plateaus are invitations, not dead ends. Imagining ten possible selves gives you space to play again — and to reconnect with the values that can reinvigorate your leadership right now.
If you’re curious, DM me what you’ve learned on LinkedIn, and I’ll share my results with you.
– Ingo