Stop Waiting for the Perfect Shot - Make Your Current Role Great

Glen Powell had already moved on from his shot at the blockbuster.

​He'd auditioned for the lead role in Top Gun: Maverick - Rooster, Goose's son, the part that would make him a household name opposite Tom Cruise, and ultimately went to Miles Teller.

He didn't get it.

When they offered him Hangman instead - a secondary character - Powell's first instinct was to decline. Why settle for less when his goal was to be a superstar like Cruise?

But then he had a conversation that changed everything.

Powell told Cruise about his ambition: "I want to be like you. A movie star."

Cruise's response wasn't what he expected: "Do you know how I do that?"

Powell confidently replied, "Yeah, you choose great roles."

Cruise shook his head: "No. I choose great movies, and I make the roles great."

Most people are waiting for the perfect situation to show their best work.

The perfect role. The perfect opportunity. The perfect timing.

But Competitors understand something different:

The goal isn't the best situation - it's to make the best of your situation.

Powell took that secondary role and turned Hangman into one of the most memorable characters in the film. Top Gun: Maverick became a global phenomenon, and Powell's career exploded.

I learned this lesson the hard way during my first year as a professional speaker. A "Women in Trucking Conference" invited me to do an unpaid workshop. My initial thought? This isn't my audience. This won't lead anywhere.

But it was in Dallas, so I figured - why not? I'll get reps practicing my delivery and test this new workshop, film it, and use the footage to market to "better" opportunities.

Two weeks later, my phone rang. Someone whose coworker attended said: "It was the best workshop I've ever seen at this event. You need to hire this guy."

That "small" unpaid workshop led to a five-city paid tour and my largest speaking engagement to date.

The lesson hit me like a freight truck: There are no small opportunities - just small perspectives.

Your competitive advantage is often hiding in plain sight:

When you clarify your game, remember - it's not about getting the perfect hand. It's about playing your current hand perfectly.

Positioning yourself means taking 100% ownership of making your situation work, not waiting for a better situation to work with.

Every role, project, or opportunity is a chance to execute at such a high level that people can't ignore your excellence.

The person who makes average situations extraordinary gets invited to extraordinary situations.

Look at your current situation - the project you're underwhelmed by, the role that feels too small, the opportunity that seems beneath you.

Ask yourself: How can I make this role great?

Then do one thing today that elevates your performance in that exact situation. Not tomorrow when things are better. Today, where things are.