Dear Reader,
Last week, we talked about killing the “Company Man”, that version of you that waits for permission and settles for “reasonable” growth.
If you’re new here, welcome to the room. I’m Jonathan, The Faceless Coach. I spent almost a decade in the corporate energy sector playing by the rules until I realized those rules were designed to keep me stable, not to make me significant.
Today, we begin a 5-week deep dive into the D.R.E.A.M. Ladder, the decision framework behind some of my biggest career shifts — and it’s designed to move you from “good enough” to calling-led growth:
The first step is often the most painful: D — Disrupt the Default.
The “Careful” Trap
When I look back at the seasons where I felt the most stuck, it wasn’t because I was failing. It was because I was being careful. We’ve been conditioned to believe that being careful is synonymous with being responsible. But in 2026, over-caution is a quiet erosion of your future. It looks like:
- Staying in a role where you’ve stopped learning because “the benefits are good.”
- Following the standard 5-year promotion track because “that’s how it’s done.”
- Ignoring a deep calling because you can’t logically see the path from A to Z.
Default decisions protect your comfort, but they rarely protect your calling.
The Day I Said “No” to Safety
A few years ago, my company announced a massive reorganization. Every role was at risk. The “default” move was clear: Re-apply for my current technical role, lock it in, and hide from the storm.
My manager even had a backup plan for me. He wanted me safe.
But I had been doing the “safe” thing for seven years in Aberdeen, and it had kept me far from the decision-making centers of Sunbury. I realized that if I chose safety again, I was essentially signing a contract for another three years of stagnation.
I walked into his office and did something that made him think I’d lost my mind: I refused to re-apply for my own job.
I told him: “I’m not pursuing technical roles anymore. I’m moving to Commercial.”
The room went silent. He warned me that if I didn’t land a commercial role, I’d end up with nothing. But I realized that staying safe was no longer safe. It was a ceiling I had to shatter.
“The moment you stop hedging your bets, you give yourself permission to begin a new pattern and chart a new path, and new doors will begin to open to you.”
I chose to disrupt the default. It was the first step on what I now call the D.R.E.A.M. Ladder.
Over the next five weeks, I am breaking down this framework to help you move from being a “functionary” to an “architect” of your own career:
- D — Disrupt the Default: Refuse the automatic path that no longer fits.
- R — Reduce to Regain Freedom: Simplify your lifestyle to buy back your options.
- E — Enter a Bigger Room: Change your environment to raise your standards.
- A — Ask for Alignment: Negotiate for your future identity, not your past results.
- M — Move Toward Your Calling: Choose the path that makes you “larger inside.”
Your Week 1 Architecture Task
To build a 10-year life, you have to stop over-relying on a 1-year default. You don’t need a perfect plan; you need to stop the automatic “Yes” to a path that no longer fits.
For the next 7 days, I want you to sit with this question:
What “default” am I currently tolerating that is actually a trap?
Is it a mindset? A specific project? A career path that everyone else says is “great” but makes you feel small?
Reply to this email and tell me the one “Default” you are choosing to disrupt this week. I read every reply—mostly because I’m fascinated by the moment a person decides to stop being “careful” and starts being bold.
To your growth,
Jonathan Edet | The Faceless Coach | A movement for leaders rising from faceless to architects of purpose.
P.S. If you missed the full backstory of how this “No” led to a front-office role in one of the company’s hardest teams to enter, you can catch the replay of my “Dream Again” Masterclass.
