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The “Go-To Person” Trap: Why Reliable = Stuck We worked with a Senior Engineering Manager recently who couldn’t understand why he wasn’t being considered for next roles. His manager’s feedback: “You’re doing great. Keep it up.” His reality: 10 years at the company. Same level for 4 years. When we dug deeper, the pattern was […]

“Just one more year.” That’s what you told yourself three years ago. After this project, you said. After the next promotion cycle. After the market stabilizes. After you finish that certification. Now it’s been years. And you’re still waiting for the “right time.” A professional expressed his frustration last month in our 1-1: “I’ve been

The visibility paradox most mid-senior professionals face: Excellent within their team. Invisible beyond it.   We worked with a Project Manager recently—12 years experience, consistently high performer, respected by everyone she works with directly.   But when a leadership role opened up in her organization, her name wasn’t even discussed.   Why?   Because the

One of the toughest career shocks happens when you realise this:Being the best at your job doesn’t automatically make you a leader. A Senior Manager told me recently:“I’m the strongest performer on the team… but couldn’t get to next role.” My question:“When you were delivering, who was developing the team?” Silence. That’s the part most

Annual review conversations we hear constantly:Manager: “You need to improve your communication.”Employee: “What exactly should I change?”Manager: “Just… be more assertive.” And that’s it.No examples. No clarity. No direction. Brutal part: Managers give feedback that sounds meaningful but goes nowhere. You’ll hear things like:“Be more strategic.”“Show leadership.”“Improve visibility.”“You need to raise the bar.” And you’re

If you’ve been in corporate long enough, you already know this:The meeting that shapes your career is never the one on your calendar.It’s the one that happens after it — behind closed doors, in quick huddles, in “one last thing…” conversations. And no one invites you to that meeting. — A mid-level leader told me

A recruiter friend told me something brutal:“When I see ‘team player’ and ‘good communicator’ in the skills section, I know this person doesn’t understand how resumes work. I move on.” Here’s the painful truth: thousands of qualified professionals are getting rejected, not for lack of skills, but for how they’re presenting them. Here’s the mistake:Treating

“I work harder than anyone on my team. I’m always available. I haven’t taken leave in a year. But I keep watching peers move ahead.”A Senior Manager shared this with quiet frustration. I asked what made his peers different. Long pause. “They’re not putting in the hours I am. But somehow… they deliver similar results.

“After our strategy workshop, my site leader asked if I’d be willing to lead one of the new initiatives.But I said… I’m not ready. Maybe someone else can take it.” A mid-level manager shared this quietly during a 1-1 session. He thought he was being honest about his limitations. What leadership saw was hesitation. Here’s

This week, I was working with a professional — helping him assess what kind of networks he’s built in his 3-year tenure. We discovered something powerful and rarely talked about:He’d built a comfortable clique, not a growth network. The people he spent the most time with?→ Same team, same frustrations, same conversations for three years.→