How One Founder Avoided a $40K Leadership Mistake

A 10-minute CQ Snapshot revealed the real leadership potential on his team — before he made an expensive promotion.

The “Obvious” Choice
Wasn’t the Right Choice

  • A 60-person HVAC company needed a new lead tech.

  • The founder’s first pick was sharp, reliable, and loved by customers.

  • On paper — perfect.

  • In reality — a hidden leadership gap that could cost $40,000+.

The Real Cost of a Promoting the Wrong Technician

🔧 Inefficiency & Rework – $20K

  • Projects take longer, mistakes multiply, decisions stall.

  • Estimate ~4 hrs/week of rework per tech × 3 techs × 6 months = ~$20K in billable time lost or delayed.

⏱ Lost Leader Time – $12K

  • Founder/senior staff fixing issues: ~4 hrs/week × 6 months.

  • At $100/hr opportunity cost = ~$10K–$12K.

👥 Morale Drop & Attrition – $8K

  • Losing just one top performer due to poor leadership = ~$8K to replace (recruiting, onboarding, ramp time).

Total: $40K+ in avoidable costs — before you factor in lost customers or reputation damage.

The Data That Changed Everything

  • Initiative Score: Low
  • Applied Grit: Sky high
  • Learnability:  High
  • The Snapshot showed he often waited for direction under pressure.
  • The founder realized it matched past behavior.
  • Two quieter techs scored higher and had proven they could step up, just didn’t have the tenure.

The founder approached the tech transparently to talk about the scores, what the scores meant and times when he waited for instructions.  The founder also told him he was under consideration for a promotion and wanted to be clear of expectations.

Based upon that conversation, the tech said he was grateful for the opportunity but really didn’t want the promotion.  His personal life rigth now required him to be inflexible on working hours.  However, he DID request to be sent to training for an additional certification and become the dependable, “GO TO GUY” for that more specialized work.

They discussed the Initiative scores as it related to the training and made some agreements to make sure he took full advantage of the training with the founder setting up simple check-ins.

It was a HUGE win for everyone involved – no feelings hurt, no supervisor who was waiting for instructions (NOT GOOD) and the promoted tech jumped at the opportunity.

What a CQ Snapshot Looks Like

Every CQ Snapshot scores each person in 3 traits:
  • Initiative
  • Applied Grit
  • Learnability

Color-coded zones show who’s ready, who to coach, and who needs a different kind of investment.

Make Your Next People Decision With Clarity, Not Guesswork

You’ll see exactly who’s ready to lead — and avoid costly missteps.

You’ll see exactly who’s ready to lead, ready for training/coaching and ready for mentoring — and avoid costly missteps.

No more “gut feel” promotions.
No more wasted training.
No more surprises that stall the business.

Three days, $500, clarity.

Book a call below so you can understand exactly what you are getting before you pay.

Book a CQ Snapshot

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