I used to think networking was just for extroverts, salespeople, or people trying to land their next job. Then I learned that real networking—the kind that builds trust, opens doors, and helps people stay and grow in their careers—is just consistent, human connection.

That realization shaped everything I do now.

Today, I split my time between two worlds:

At Retention and Rewards Partners, I work with HR leaders to solve complex problems around compensation, benefits, and employee retention. I’ve led total rewards teams through M&A deals, culture transformations, open enrollments, and board-level pay strategy. But underneath all the spreadsheets and systems is one simple goal: build workplaces where people want to stay.

And as the founder of The Introverted Networker, I teach professionals how to build strong relationships—without small talk, events, or pretending to be someone they’re not. I write a weekly newsletter, lead corporate workshops, and coach people on how to connect with others in a way that feels real and doable.

My work might look different depending on the day, but it’s all connected by one belief: when people feel seen, supported, and fairly treated, they stay. And when they build trusted relationships at work, they thrive.

If you care about building workplaces where people stay and succeed—or you’re trying to grow your network in a way that actually feels good—I’d love to connect.


Here are other ways I can help you:

⇨ Sign up for my newsletter, "The Introverted Networker," to get tips to improve your networking.

⇨ Get my FREE course, "5 Steps To Grow Your Professional Network," to get the exact networking blueprint I follow every week to grow my own network.

⇨ Follow me to learn how to find new connections without going to networking events

⇨ Download my guide "15 Minute Networking"

⇨ Get my book "The Fast and Easy Guide To Networking For Introverts"

All the links for these resources are in my Featured section above!

The best way to contact me is via email: greg@gregsroche.com

Greg Roche

Most networking advice is 20 years out of date.
Here’s what actually works now.
 
Most of what we were taught doesn’t fit how networking actually happens.
 
Here are a few ideas worth letting go of (and what to do instead):
 
• “𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄.”
That’s incomplete. What matters is who knows 𝘺𝘰𝘶 and why they trust you.
 
• “𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆.”
Most real connections don’t start with speeches.
They start with curiosity and listening.
 
• “𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.”
That’s pressure no one needs.
Networking works better when it’s about helping, not pitching.
 
• “𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.”
Hundreds of people on your contact list rarely beat a handful of real relationships..
 
• “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯.”
That’s like watering a plant only when it’s dying.
 
• “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀.”
You need follow-through, not cardstock.
 
• “𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆.”
Some of the best ideas and opportunities come from outside your bubble.
 
• “𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀.”
Most meaningful connections happen one conversation at a time, not in crowded rooms.
 
Networking isn’t a formula.
 
It’s a long game built on trust, relevance, and consistency.
 
If networking feels awkward, it’s often because you were taught the wrong rules.

If you want to learn the new rules of networking,

Do one of these:
✅ Subscribe to my newsletter-click link on top of the post
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

I'll teach you to be a more confident networker, whether you're an introvert, extrovert, or something in between.

I teach professionals to connect and build trust. Founder Retention and Rewards Partners. Solving retention and total rewards challenges for HR leaders who need results, not more noise. Aka: The Introverted Networker.

This past weekend, I traded winter coats in Colorado for sun in Arizona.
 
I’ll be spending the winter in the Phoenix area.
 
It’s a new experience.
A new rhythm.

Part of the next phase of life for me and my family.
 
I’m excited about it.
And, if I’m honest, a little nervous.
 
That feeling is familiar.
 
Because when I look back on my career, the same pattern shows up again and again.
 
I didn’t follow a straight line.
 
I thought I was headed one way.
Something unexpected showed up.
I took a turn.
 
Teaching became consulting.
Consulting became something else.
Sales didn’t last.
HR did.

That role grew.
Then it ended.
 
I’ve had long stretches and short ones.
Promotions and layoffs.
W2 jobs and my own business.
 
On paper, it can look messy.
 
At times, even reckless.
 
But here’s what wandering gave me.
 
Perspective.
Context.
Range.
 
Every role taught me something I couldn’t have learned by staying put.
 
Looking back, it might seem like I didn’t have a plan.
 
But I was never lost.
 
I kept moving.
Paying attention.
Saying yes when something worth exploring showed up.
 
Opportunities rarely come looking for you.
 They sit just off the path.
 
You usually find them when you’re willing to wander a little.
 
If you’re standing at a fork right now, unsure of the next step, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
 
It might mean you’re exactly where growth starts.

Have a great week!


I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

I talk a lot about networking. 
And building better workplaces.

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

The biggest career lesson I learned didn’t come from a win.
It came from a layoff.

For a long time, I believed something that felt reasonable:
 
If you work hard,
If you do good work,
If you stay loyal,
 
You'll be fine.
 
I wasn’t careless.
I wasn’t checked out.
I wasn’t underperforming.
 
I had years of strong reviews.
I had momentum.
I had credibility.
 
So I assumed stability was earned.
 
Then one meeting changed everything.
 
My boss walked into my office and my role was eliminated.
 
Not because of something I did.
Not because I failed.
Because the business shifted.
 
That was the moment I learned a quiet lesson most people never get until it’s too late:
 
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁.
 
And when it does, the question isn't how good you were at your last role.
 
The question is who knows you now.
 
At the time, my answer was uncomfortable.
 
I'd focused so much on doing the work that I hadn’t invested in relationships outside my immediate circle.
 
No regular check-ins.
No light touchpoints.
No habit of staying connected.
 
I thought networking was something you did when you needed something.

Turns out it works best when you don’t.
 
Your network is not just a job search tool.
It' your Career Insurance Policy.

Like most insurance policies, it's:

Quiet.
Boring.
Incredibly effective.
 
You build it while things are calm so it’s there when things are not.
 
If you have a job right now, this is not a warning.
 
It’s an opportunity.
 
Create your Career Insurance Policy one conversation at a time.


I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

If don't have Career Insurance, but know you need it,

Do one of these:
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these helps me help you create your Career Insurance Policy

Most people network the wrong way.
Here’s what actually works.

The standard networking advice tells you to do more.
 
Meet more people.
Go to more events.
Collect more contacts.
 
That’s usually the wrong move.
 
Networking works better when you slow it down.
 
One person.
One conversation.
One relationship at a time.
 
You don’t need to start with strangers in a crowded room.
 
Start with people you already know.
 
Reach back out.
Ask what they’re working on.
Share what you’re focused on right now.
 
Then do the part most people skip.
 
Ask who else you should know.
Ask for an introduction.
 
That’s how networks actually grow.
Not by casting a wide net.
But by building outward, intentionally.
 
It sounds slower on paper.
 
In practice, it’s more efficient and a lot more human.
 
Try it once this week.


I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

I talk a lot about networking. 
And building better workplaces.

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

One warm intro > 10 cold DMs. 
Every time.

Most networking advice focuses on doing more:.

• Go to more events.
• Meet more people.
• Cast a wider net.

That's usually the wrong place to start.

Networks don't grow from volume.
They grow from the next person you meet..

One person.
Then the next person.
Then the person after that.

Not starting with strangers.
But, with people you already know.

Reach out.
Have a real conversation.
Ask what they're working on.
Share what you're focused on right now.

Then do the part that actually expands your network.

Ask who else you should know.
Ask for an introduction.

That single step does more than ten cold conversations ever will.

Yes, it feels slower.
It's not.

It's quieter.
More efficient.
And easier to sustain when you're busy.

If networking feels overwhelming, try this instead.

One person this week.
That's enough to start.


I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

I talk a lot about networking. 
And building better workplaces.

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

You made a 2026 plan.
Life’s about to mess with it.

Some people have tattoos.
 
My wife has one.
My kids have them.
 
I don’t.
 
Not because I dislike them.

I just have never found the one image or sentence I want on my body forever.
 
But there's one that comes close.
 
“Man plans. God laughs.”

It's a Yiddish proverb.
I think about it a lot.
 
I make plans.
Life changes them.
 
I aim in one direction.
Something unexpected shows up.
 
A door opens.
Another one closes.
 
And the path shifts.
  
Last week, a lot of people made plans.
 
Carefully thought-out goals.
Color-coded calendars.
Notion dashboards.
Twelve-month roadmaps that look very confident.
 
By December 31, 2026, your life will look different.
 
Different than it does today.
And different than the plans you made last week.
 
Not because you failed.
Because God laughed.
Because life moved.
 
Why plan at all?
 
Because plans matter.
 
Plans signal intention.
They show what you care about.
They give you a direction to walk toward.
 
You'll get farther with a plan than without one.
 
But here is the quiet part most people forget:
 
Your job is not to follow the plan perfectly.
Your job is to keep going when the plan breaks.
 
To adjust.
To learn.
To take the next small step when the original path disappears.
 
God laughs.
Plans change.
 Progress still counts.
 
I don't have a big motivational message today.
 
Just a reminder.
 
Life isn't going to follow the outline you wrote last week.
 
And that's not a bug.
It's a feature.
 
Keep moving.
Keep becoming.
Even when the path looks nothing like you expected.
 
That still counts.
You might end up someplace better than you expected.

Your most valuable connections aren’t strangers.
They’re people you already know.

Every January, I see the same thing happen.
 
Smart, capable people feel pressure to have a networking plan.
 
New goals.
New contacts.
New conversations they are supposed to start.
 
For a lot of introverted professionals, that pressure is exactly what makes them stop.
 
The idea of building a brand-new network from scratch feels exhausting.

Too many unknowns.
Too much energy.
Too much noise.
 
Here's what I'll tell you:
 
You do not need a new network.
You already have one.
 
It is made up of people from earlier chapters of your life.

Former teammates.
Classmates.
Managers.
Clients.

Most of us forget about them.
 
These are called dormant ties.

Not because the relationship is gone, but because it's been inactive for a while.
 
Reconnecting with dormant ties is easier than meeting someone new.

There's already context.
There's already trust.
You're not starting from zero.
 
One practical shift that helps.
 
When you use LinkedIn, don't just look for people who are still at companies you worked for.
 
Search for people who used to work there and have moved on.
 
Former coworkers who now have new roles and new experiences often make for the best conversations.

They know where you came from and can speak honestly about what they have learned since.
 
The outreach doesn't need to be complicated.
 
A simple hello is enough.
 
No ask.
No pitch.
No agenda.
 
Just a genuine check-in.
 
If this sounds like a better way to start networking this year, I go much deeper into how to do this calmly and consistently in this week’s Introverted Networker.
 
The full breakdown is there if you want it.

https://lnkd.in/gqzKQVCj


I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

If you want to join the mission to change the way the world feels about networking,

Do one of these:
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
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Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

Open article: How to Restart Your Networking Without Starting Over by theintrovertednetworker.substack.com

How to Restart Your Networking Without Starting Over

LinkedIn feels like a lot for a reason.
You open it with good intentions.
Five minutes later, you’re tired.

Everyone’s posting.
Some are selling.
Some are performing.
Some are just loud.
 
So you scroll.
Close the app.
Tell yourself you’ll come back later.
 
If that’s you, you’re not doing it wrong.
 
Stop treating it like a stage.
Use it like a directory.
 
LinkedIn isn’t where relationships are built.

It’s where you find the next person to have the conversation with.
 
Connections lead to conversations.
Conversations lead to professional relationships.
 
That’s it.
 
When you stop trying to impress and start trying to locate, everything gets quieter.
 
One practical way to try this.
 
Pick one focus for the week.
Just one.
 
Not “use LinkedIn better.”
Something smaller.
 
Reconnect with former coworkers.
Learn about one company.
Meet a few people in a role you’re curious about.
 
Then look for people you already know, or are one step away from knowing.
 
Start there.
 
If you see a first-degree connection, send a simple note.
“Hey, it’s been a while. How are things going?”
 
No pitch.
No ask.
Just reopening the door.
 
If it’s a second-degree connection, add a short note when you connect.

Say why you reached out.
Ask one small question.
Give them an easy out.
 
That’s enough to start.
 
Most people avoid LinkedIn because they think they need to do everything at once.
 
You don’t.
 
One focus.
One conversation.
One small step at a time.
 
I wrote more about this, plus a simple weekly LinkedIn plan, in this week’s 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳.

If LinkedIn feels noisy to you, the full issue goes deeper:
https://lnkd.in/g5a3YTjW

Networking feels hard, even when the steps are simple.
Here’s why that’s normal.

Last week, after a webinar, someone asked me a fair question.
 
“Is networking really as easy as the steps you laid out?”
 
I’ve been thinking about that all week.
 
Because this is where a lot of smart, capable people get stuck.
 
𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆.
 
The approach I teach is simple on purpose.

Clear steps.
Fewer decisions.
Less noise.
 
But simple doesn't remove the human part.
 
Reaching out still feels a little vulnerable.
Waiting for a reply still creates tension.

Some conversations stall.
Some go quiet.
 
That doesn't mean you did it wrong.
It means you're dealing with real people.
 
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀:
 
Stop asking, “Did this lead to something?”
Start asking, “Did I do the reps?”
 
Networking works more like strength training.
One workout rarely changes anything.
Consistency does.
 
A quiet way to measure progress looks like this:
 
One conversation this week.
One small act of generosity.
One follow up.
 
That counts, even if nothing obvious happens yet.
 
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀:
 
• Pick one person you already know.
• Send a short note.
• Ask for 15 minutes to catch up.
• No pitch.
• No agenda.
 
When it’s over, write down one thing you learned.
 
That’s progress.
 
I wrote more about this idea in this week’s Introverted Networker.

If this problem sounds familiar, the full issue goes deeper: https://lnkd.in/gZyvkqqa

Your likes aren’t building trust.
Your ears are.

It’s easy to feel like you’re connecting when you engage with a post.

But a comment is just a digital handshake.

It’s the start of a conversation, not the end of one.

Real trust happens when you move the chat offline.

Get on a call or a video meeting.

Once you’re there, practice the rarest skill in leadership.

Listen.

In "The Speed of Trust," Stephen M.R. Covey points out that listening is the foundation of every strong bond.

It’s also the behavior people practice the least.

Most of us are so busy planning what to say next that we don't actually hear what’s being said.

If you want to build a real relationship this week, stop pitching.

Just be the person who actually listens.



I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

I talk a lot about networking. 
And building better workplaces.

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

Most people fail at networking for one simple reason:
Bad timing.
 
A lot of people start networking only when they need something.

A job lead.
An intro.
A favor. 

That puts you in a tough spot.
 
Because now every conversation carries weight.
Every message feels loaded.
Every ask feels risky.
 
Here's a calmer way to think about it.
 
Your network is built long before you need it.
 
The value comes from the small, unremarkable moments.

Listening.
Sharing something useful. 
Making an introduction with no expectation attached.
 
None of that feels urgent.
That's the point.
 
When you stay in touch without an agenda, you build trust without realizing it.

You create context.
You become familiar in a good way.
 
When you eventually do need help, the conversation feels different.

It doesn't feel like taking.

It feels like continuing something that already exists.
 
That's why some people seem “good at networking” without trying.

They're not better at asking.

They're better at staying connected when nothing is on the line.
 
If networking feels uncomfortable for you, try this shift:
 
Stop thinking about what you might need later.

Focus on who you can help now.
 
One short conversation.
One helpful moment.
One follow up.
 
That is usually enough to change the math over time.



I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

I talk a lot about networking. 
And building better workplaces.

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

Most networking advice breaks down when you get busy.
It assumes you can:

Scale it.
Batch it.
Automate it.
 
But, networking doesn’t scale.
And it never did.
 
The reason it feels exhausting for smart, capable people is because they’re trying to treat it like a system instead of a relationship.
 
More tools.
More reach.
More volume.
 
That approach feels efficient.
But, it isn’t effective.
 
Real networks grow the opposite way.
 
Slow.
Personal.
A little inconvenient.
 
One person at a time.
 
You don’t need to “work your network.”
You need to pay attention to one person.
 
Someone you already know or almost know.
Someone you’re genuinely curious about.
Someone you can have a real conversation with.
 
That means sending a message you actually wrote.
Asking questions you care about.
Listening without waiting for your turn to talk.
 
It means offering help without attaching a hook.
And being clear when someone asks how they can help you.
 
None of this is flashy.
None of it looks impressive on the surface.
 
It also can’t be outsourced.
And it doesn’t respond well to shortcuts.
 
Here’s the truth:
 
This way feels slower at first.
Then momentum shows up.
Then it starts compounding.
 
Not because you optimized it.
But because people trust you.
 
If networking feels hard right now, try shrinking the goal.
 
Not more people.
Not better tactics.
 
Just one conversation this week.

Done with care.
Done without rushing.
 
That’s how it actually works.
And it’s enough to get started.

======================================

I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

Most people get networking backwards.


They fixate on the outcome.
 
The job.
The client.
The big opportunity.
 
That’s understandable.
It’s also where they get stuck.
 
Because networking doesn’t move in straight lines.
It moves in small, boring steps that don’t look impressive in the moment.
 
One conversation.
One follow-up.
One introduction you didn’t expect to matter.
 
You usually can’t see where any single connection will lead.
And that’s the point.
 
If you only focus on the destination, it feels vague and frustrating.
If you focus on what’s right in front of you, it gets simpler.
 
Who can I talk to this week?
Who do I already know that I’ve lost touch with?
What’s one honest conversation I can have?
 
Do that.
Then do it again.
 
You don’t need the full map.
You just need to keep moving forward.



I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

The best networkers today?
They’re not the loudest in the room.

Most networking advice still assumes one thing.
 
The people who win are the loudest ones.
 
The ones who always seem “on.”
The ones who work the room.
The ones who talk fast.
 
I don’t think that’s true anymore.
 
In fact, I think the skills that matter most right now look a lot more introverted.
 
Pay attention to what actually builds trust today.
 
It’s not volume.
It’s not charisma.
It’s not having the perfect pitch.
 
It’s presence.
 
People are tired of being talked at.
They’re tired of surface level conversations.
They’re tired of feeling like a transaction.
 
The people who stand out now are the ones who slow things down.
 
They ask a real question.
They listen long enough to understand the answer.
They remember what someone said last time and follow up on it.
 
That’s not flashy.
It doesn’t look impressive in the moment.

But it sticks.
 
Especially in a world where so much communication is rushed, shortened, or automated.
 
When you actually pay attention, you create contrast.
When you listen, people feel seen.
When you’re thoughtful, people trust you faster.
 
That’s not surviving in networking.
That’s leading it.
 
You don’t need to be louder.
You don’t need to be more aggressive.
You don’t need to turn yourself into someone you’re not.
 
You need to do what introverts already do well and do it on purpose.
 
One conversation.
One person.
One real exchange at a time.
 
That’s more than enough to move things forward.


I'm Greg, The Introverted Networker!

My mission is to change the way people feel about networking.

If you want to become a more confident networker,

Do one of these:
✅ Leave a comment: it tells the algo you want more
✅ Hit "View my newsletter" at the top of this post
✅ Share this post with your LinkedIn network

Doing these guarantees I'll be in your feed.

Ehsan Ali 🚀

Top-Ranked Australian Career Coach | Helped 100+ Senior IT Pros Land $200K–$400K+ Roles | 2–4 Level Jumps. 30%–120% Raises. | Take the 3-Min Quiz & Uncover Your Hidden Growth Blockers

More skill doesn’t guarantee senior growth.

Not after 15–25 years.

Over the last 4+ years, I’ve worked with senior IT professionals across the spectrum.

From Senior S/W Engineers 
to Big 4 Directors 
and VPs of Technology.

And the same situations keep showing up:

• Impacted by layoffs
• Placed on PIPs despite a strong track record
• Years of stagnation at the same level
• Strong performance, no upward pathway

Different situations. Same constraint.

At senior levels, careers stop advancing on effort alone.They advance through positioning and access.

If your experience isn't positioned clearly, communicated at executive level, and seen by the right decision-makers, opportunities don’t open. 


I’ve lived it too.

After 22 years across delivery and commercial leadership, and $100M+ programs, I hit my own ceiling.

Not because I lacked capability. Because I lacked a strategy to convert it into the next level.

Today, I help Indian-origin senior IT professionals globally move into $250K–$400K+ next-level roles through strategic positioning.

Recent outcomes:

• Tim (Senior Director): 18 months without a role to two $300K+ offers in 10 weeks

• Urvish (Senior S/W Engineer): laid off to Principal Engineer in 10 weeks, then Director in 12 months

• Hesham (Architect): $200K to $650K+ package in 3 months

Those results come from one system I run every time: Value Amplifier Method™

If you’re assessing your next move:

👉 Take the 2-minute diagnostic used by 1,200+ senior IT professionals (link in featured section)

👉 DM me ROUNDTABLE for the upcoming private roundtable

Podcast Host & Producer

Australia's 1st Business & Career podcast featuring inspiring stories of Indian Expats who either successfully transitioned into entrepreneurship or excelled in their careers beyond the perceived limitations and ceiling

Ehsan Ali

“Being ready” is a myth.

You start.
You mess it up.
You figure things out.
You get better.

That line sums up my last 5 years.

In 2020, I walked away from a solid IT career.

Not because I had a plan.
Not because I felt ready.

I just knew I didn’t want another decade of playing safe and calling it success.

Then reality hit.

Covid.
Redundancy.
Savings I thought would last 2 years were gone in under 18 months.

Still no clear direction.
Still moving forward anyway.

One small decision changed things.

I started a podcast.

That single move put me in rooms I was never in before.
People doing well in corporate.
Others who had made the jump into business.

Patterns started to show up.

Success wasn’t luck.
It was structure.
The right people.
Leverage.

I hired a coach.
We broke down my story, strengths, and experience.

Career coaching stood out.

It took another 18 months to replace my income.
Nothing about it was smooth.

I learned this:

• Don’t build alone.
• Your environment shapes your speed.
• Guidance beats guessing.

Clarity doesn’t come first.
Action does.

♻️ Repost if this feels familiar
🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for honest career growth conversations

Career Strategist for Senior IT Professionals | Rebuilding confidence and repositioning for 2–4 level jumps and $250K–$400K+ roles

I watched Vidya Balan say something I still haven’t been able to shake.

Early in her career, she was replaced from a film.
Labelled a "bad omen".

She went to meet the producer.
With her parents.

He showed clips from the movie.
Then looked at her parents and said:

“Does she look like heroine material from any angle?”
“She can’t act.”
“She can’t dance.”

She said for six months after that,
she couldn’t look at herself in the mirror.

Then she said this:

“You want to remove someone, do it.
But be careful with your words.”

Because words have power.

That hit close to home.

Early days after leaving corporate, I was scared.

I interviewed with a VP.
He liked me.
Said he wanted to hire me.

Then he disappeared.

Months later, I heard the “market feedback”.

That I was good for nothing.
Not delivery.
Not sales.
Not anything.

That kind of feedback doesn’t just hurt.
It messes with your self-belief.

I had a choice.

Succumb to it.
Or refuse it.

I’m grateful for the people who stood by me.
Who reminded me who I was when I started to doubt myself.

Instead of shrinking, I doubled down.

Not on explaining my past.
Not on defending results I had delivered.

But on building my coaching practice from scratch.
Quietly.
With full focus.

What followed still humbles me.

100s of life-changing breakthroughs.
People rebuilding belief in themselves
after PIPs, layoffs, rejection, self-doubt.

Through helping others rise,
my belief in myself rose too.

Then the income followed.
3–4x my corporate salary.

And sometimes… I get chills.

Thinking about this one question:

What if I had believed those words?

♻️ Repost if leaders need to read this before they speak.

Video credit: YouTube

Career Strategist for Indian-Origin Senior IT Professionals | Advancing into $250K–$400K+ next-level roles through strategic positioning, even in a crowded market

Leaders don't micromanage weak IT pros.
They micromanage the ones they can't replace.

Every manager calls it “oversight.”
It’s not.
It’s fear.

I’ve coached hundreds of senior IT pros over the last 4+ years.
And I’ve seen the pattern repeat:

Senior pros who’ve:
▪️Stabilized critical systems that everyone else avoided
▪️Made decisions that saved entire projects
▪️Pulled all-nighters fixing disasters nobody else could touch

…still get second-guessed.
Still get asked, “Why did you do it this way?”
Still get nudged to justify every call they make.

Here’s the truth most leaders avoid:
You’re not micromanaging incompetence.
You’re micromanaging irreplaceability.

And here’s what it costs top talent:
1️⃣ They stop raising risks early.
2️⃣ They pick “safe” moves instead of bold solutions.
3️⃣ They start planning exits quietly smiling in meetings while disengaging.

The cost to you?

Teams lose initiative.
Innovation stalls.
Your top performers quietly check out.

The fix isn't telling yourself to "trust them more."
It's letting go of control you never needed.

If this felt familiar, you already know why it matters.  

♻️ Repost if you've seen capable people get second-guessed instead of trusted.
  
🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for senior IT leadership truths that actually work.

Early in our careers, we chase what we’re told matters.

Titles.
Certifications.
Big names.

And for a while, it works.

Then something changes.

People stop talking about your resume.

They talk about how it felt to work with you.

They remember:
• whether you made things calmer or heavier
• whether meetings felt clearer after you spoke
• whether problems shrank when you got involved
• whether they trusted you with messy things

That’s what sticks.

Two people can have the same experience.

One becomes reliable.
The other becomes remembered.

And remembered people don’t chase opportunities.

They get pulled into them.

Worth a second thought?

♻️ Repost if this resonates.
🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for senior career strategies and tools.

* TRUTH BOMB *

Age 40–60 is the prime career time.

You’ve seen patterns.
Made hard calls.
You know what actually works.

Yet most careers stagnate quietly by 40.

Not because experience expires.
But because ambition gets trained out.

Nobody starts a long career aiming for average.

Yet most accept it.

They don’t fail.
They adjust expectations.

They stop asking hard questions.
They start explaining things away.

“Market is tough.”
“Ageism is real.”
“I should be grateful.”

After speaking with 2,000+ professionals
and helping 140+ rebuild their careers,
here’s the truth:

It’s not talent.
It’s conditioning.

Be reliable.
Wait your turn.
Don’t rock the boat.

That’s what slowly stagnates careers.

The ones who break through at 45, 50, 60
aren’t louder or luckier.

They choose strategy. 
Early.

If you’ve spent 15+ years in IT, delivered complex programs, and still feel underutilised, this is for you.

This month only, I’m sharing the same growth strategies my mid–senior IT clients pay $2,500+ per month for.

3 closed-door, small-group roundtables.
Free. By invitation only.

If your career feels slower than your potential,
DM me ROUNDTABLE.

♻️ Repost this for someone with decades left.
🔔 Follow me for strategic senior IT career frameworks.

Career Strategist for Indian-Origin Senior IT Professionals | $250K–$400K+ Tech Leadership Roles | 120+ Breakthroughs | Value Amplifier Method™

The most dangerous place in your career isn’t failure.

It’s being good at what you do in a role that no longer stretches you.

You’re trusted. 
You’re reliable. 
You’re low risk. 

People know they can count on you when things get messy.

From the outside, that looks like success.

But here’s the uncomfortable part.

At senior levels, comfort doesn’t always mean progress. 
Sometimes it means your name isn’t coming up when next-level decisions are made.

You’re still valued. You’re just no longer considered.

Nothing breaks. 
No feedback lands. 
No moment forces a decision.

So you keep delivering. And your boss keeps you exactly where you are.

That’s how careers don’t fall behind. 
They just stay still for too long.

♻️ Repost if this feels uncomfortably familiar 
➕ Follow Ehsan Ali for grounded career thinking

7 Things Your Boss Needs to Hear If You Want to Grow

Your boss doesn’t promote the hardest worker.
They promote the one they see as a leader.

And leadership?
It’s not just in what you do.
It’s in what you say.

After 20 years in IT and coaching, I’ve seen it all:
Talented pros left invisible.
Smart players passed over.
Leaders-in-waiting ignored.

Not because they lacked skills.
But because they stayed silent.

If you want your boss to notice you, start here:

1️⃣ “I have a suggestion to improve X.”
Leaders show vision, not just execution. Elevate.

2️⃣ “I’d like to take on more.”
Ambition speaks louder when paired with a plan.

3️⃣ “I made a mistake.”
Trust grows when honesty comes before excuses.

4️⃣ “I need help with…”
Strength isn’t silence. It’s seeking growth with solutions in hand.

5️⃣ “Thank you for trusting me with this.”
Gratitude builds loyalty more than results alone.

6️⃣ “Can we discuss my career goals?”
No one will own your future if you don’t.

7️⃣ “Can you give me feedback?”
The fastest growth comes from listening.

These aren’t just words.
They’re signals that tell your boss: I’m ready for more.

Which of these have you said out loud this year?
And which one still feels hardest to bring up?

I’ll be unpacking how and when to have these conversations in a small career roundtable this month.
DM ROUNDTABLE to join. Spots are limited.

♻ Share this to help a corporate buddy rise
➕ Follow me(Ehsan Ali) for real IT career moves, no generic fluff

7 Conversations That Get You Seen as a Leader

The most painful career years aren’t the bad ones.

They’re the quiet ones.

There’s no crisis. No blow-up. No obvious reason to leave.
Just a role that feels “fine”… and before you know it, another year is gone.

You’re still delivering. Still dependable. Still the person people lean on when things go sideways.
From the outside, everything looks steady.

But the momentum you expected at this stage just isn’t showing up.

And that’s the trap.

When nothing is wrong, you don’t course-correct.
You don’t pause long enough to question direction.
You just keep going.

Until one day you realise you’ve been working hard under the same ceiling for longer than you planned.
Same level. Same type of work. Same conversations. Same “maybe next cycle.”

If that quiet drift feels familiar, don’t brush it off.

It’s rarely a capability issue.
More often, it’s a direction issue.

And direction doesn’t arrive through patience.
It arrives through decisions.

♻️ Repost if this puts words to something you’ve felt
➕ Follow Ehsan Ali for grounded career strategy for mid-senior IT professionals

It’s rarely a skill problem.
It’s a reliability trap.

Most senior IT professionals don’t realise they're trapped in it until growth quietly stops. 

They don't get stuck because they lack capability.
They get stuck because reliability becomes their ceiling.

If you’re the person everyone depends on, this will feel familiar.

You deliver.
You fix problems.
You keep things running.

And without anyone saying it out loud, expectations shift.

You’re trusted to execute.
But not trusted to decide.

You become dependable.
Not promotable.

Work keeps increasing.
Your level doesn’t.

That’s the silent trade-off reliable professionals are never warned about.

The carousel breaks down 7 quiet traps that keep capable people stuck.

If you’ve ever felt:

• Needed, but not advanced
• Relied on, but not promoted
• Busy, but not moving

Swipe through.
You’ll recognise the pattern fast.

🔖 Save this if it hit closer than expected.
♻️ Repost for someone quietly carrying too much.
➕ Follow Ehsan Ali for no-BS career growth insights

7 Quiet Traps Keeping You Stuck at Mid-Senior Level

If you’re a 40-year-old IT professional,
You likely have 20+ years of career left.

Pause on that!

If you already feel stuck or under-recognised today,
What do you think the next 20 years would look like?

Staying in roles that don’t stretch you.
Hoping restructures don’t touch you.
Accepting work below your capability.

And if you’re laid off?

Update the CV.
Apply.
Wait.
Hear nothing.
Repeat.

How many times will you repeat that cycle
over the next 20 years?

That’s not a career.
That’s survival.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Most professionals don’t get stuck because they lack talent.
They get stuck because they stop believing more is possible.

“I don’t know if I still have what it takes.”
“I didn’t keep up with the market.”
“I should be grateful.”
“I don’t want to rock the boat.”

Those quiet self-talks end more careers than failure ever will.

Most people wait for the market, their boss, or the next restructure
to decide their future.

What if instead, you took control?

Designed the next 20 years on your terms.
Built recognition, income, and titles intentionally.

That’s exactly what I’ll unpack in a small, private roundtable this Saturday.

It’s a strategy I’ve refined over the last 4 years,
and the same one my clients used to create outcomes they once believed weren’t for them:

• $200K → $650K+
• Engineer → Director (3-level jump)
• 18 months jobless → two $300K+ offers in 10 weeks
• Unknown → global Top 100 recognition

This isn’t for everyone.

It’s for senior IT professionals
who don’t want to spend the next 20 years in mediocrity and regrets.

If this felt uncomfortably familiar,
DM me ROUNDTABLE.

♻️ Repost this to help a senior IT professional who needs to read it
🔔 Follow me (Ehsan Ali) for real career strategy, not CV tips and generic advice

I’ve watched some of the most capable professionals in IT slowly switch off.

They didn’t struggle with the work.
They weren’t unskilled.
They just stopped being noticed.

Here’s the truth about leadership:
Appreciation isn’t about being nice.
It’s proof that you see effort.

It shows if their ideas and work matter, or if only results do.

Most leaders think:
"They’re paid. That’s enough."
Wrong.

When people feel unappreciated, they don’t complain.
They pull back.

They stop raising issues.
Stop volunteering solutions.
Stop owning outcomes beyond their role.

Work still gets done.
But leaders lose the energy, ideas, and loyalty that push teams forward.

Here’s what actually happens:

❎ Effort vanishes
❎ Feedback dries up
❎ Innovation stalls  
❎ Top performers quietly leave

This isn’t a people problem.
It’s a leadership failure.

Appreciation isn’t “good job” after it's done.
It’s noticing effort in the moment, not just after a win.

People who feel seen give more.
People who don’t… hold back.

Strong leaders don’t squeeze results.
They make people want to step up.

Question for leaders:
Do your people feel judged or truly seen?

♻️ Repost if someone on your team needs this.
🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for leadership, career moves, and scaling teams that actually work.

7 Things You Tolerate 
That Are Quietly Shrinking Your Career

You may not have built this cage,
but you’re holding the key.

Here’s what it often looks like:

🔴 A boss who praises you — but never advocates for you
🔴 Work that keeps you busy — but doesn’t grow your value
🔴 A reputation that’s respected — but only inside your team
🔴 Loyalty that gets applauded — but not rewarded
🔴 Visibility that ends at your job title

These aren’t small annoyances.

They’re slow leaks draining momentum, visibility, and belief.

👉 Each of these has a fix.
Swipe through to see where you may be tolerating more than you realise.

Before the market decides for you,
there’s a short self-assessment on my profile.

Less than 2 minutes.
It shows how you’re currently being positioned, 
and where momentum is leaking.

♻️ Repost if someone in your network needs this mirror
🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for career strategy that works today, not in 2010

7 Things You Tolerate That Are Shrinking Your Career

If you’re struggling to move to the next level in your career,
You already know this:

✅ Job boards don’t work
✅ The best roles go to people already in the circle

So you try to “network.”

But it feels off.
You sound like a job beggar.
They ghost you.
You start doubting yourself.

Then what?

You pull back.
Tweak the resume.
Update LinkedIn.
Apply again.
Even though you know it won’t work.

Meanwhile, your confidence fades.

Here’s the truth no one teaches you:

💥 It’s not your experience.
💥 It’s not your resume.
💥 It’s your conversation strategy.

Because at $250K–$400K+?

You don’t chase roles.
You build trust first.
You get invited in.
You shape offers around your value.

That’s why these private conversations matter.

They’re not casual chats.
They’re strategic career moves.

Top performers use them to:
– Unlock unlisted roles
– Build trust with decision-makers
– Get pulled into opportunities before they’re public

If you’re not having these conversations,
You’re not “early.”
You’re invisible.

That’s exactly what we break down inside my private senior-level roundtable.

Real scenarios.
Real conversations.

You’re not learning in isolation.
You’re pressure-testing your thinking with peers who already operate at this level, and seeing where your approach breaks.

No theory.
Just honest calibration on how these conversations actually land.

DM “ROUNDTABLE”
This is where stalled senior careers get unstuck.

♻️ Repost this if someone you know is stuck in job-board limbo
🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for $250K–$400K+ career plays that actually work

Resumes Don't Open Doors. These 7 Conversations Do

“I should’ve left earlier.”

Many senior IT professionals regretfully share with me.

Not because they were failing.
But because they stayed long after the role stopped growing them.

They were paid well.
Relied on.
Praised.

From the outside, everything looked fine.

It wasn’t.

Here’s what was happening underneath.

Their workload grew.
Their influence didn’t.

They were trusted to fix problems.
Not to shape direction.

Their role got busier.
But never bigger.

Their voice mattered in delivery.
Not in decisions.

They kept things running.
But they stopped moving forward themselves.

That’s the trap.

Nothing feels “wrong” enough to leave.
Yet nothing feels “right” enough to stay.

So they stay.

Not because of loyalty.

Because of fear.

Fear of losing status.
Fear of starting again.
Fear of leaving a role that’s become comfortable and effortless.

And comfort has a cost.

It slowly drains
energy,
confidence,
and options.

That’s why, sometimes,
the real career leap isn’t moving up.
It’s walking away.

Staying too long isn’t loyalty.
It’s poor judgment.

♻️ Repost if this felt uncomfortably familiar
➕ Follow Ehsan Ali for posts on shaping careers

PS
I’m hosting a small, invite-only roundtable on Feb 7 with mid-senior IT professionals navigating this exact shift.

If you’d rather reflect privately first, there’s a short self-assessment in my Featured section.

Be careful about this as your career progresses.

At senior levels, most of what you do can be replicated.

Your role can be restructured.
Your responsibilities redistributed.
Your processes documented and handed over.

That’s the uncomfortable reality of modern organisations.

Experience alone doesn’t make you irreplaceable.

What I’ve seen, over and over, is this:

The professionals who keep moving forward aren’t always the ones with the best resumes or longest tenure.

They’re the ones people trust when things get messy.

Not because they know more.
But because of how they think.

They’ve seen systems fail at scale.
They know where risk actually hides.
They ask questions that prevent problems, not just fix them.

Technical skills can be hired.
Certifications can be matched.
Reliability becomes expected.

What can’t be copied is judgement under pressure.

The calm you bring into tense rooms.
The clarity you create when decisions stall.
The ability to see consequences others miss.

That’s what gets you pulled into conversations before roles even exist.

So if you’re still trying to look like what the system rewards, pause.

At this stage, your edge isn’t doing more.

It’s leaning into the perspective only your path has given you.

In a world built to standardise people,
the ones who advance are the ones whose thinking can’t be standardised.

♻️ Repost if this puts words to something you’ve been feeling.

🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for grounded, real-world career insights that actually apply at senior levels.

Changing roles isn’t instability.

It’s what happens when a role stops stretching you
and starts repeating you.

Most senior professionals don’t stay because they’re growing.
They stay because leaving looks risky.

Because movement gets misread as a flaw.

Unstable.
Disloyal.
Hard to trust.

So they stay longer than they should.

The scope stays the same.
The learning slows.
The upside flattens.

But expectations keep rising.

That’s the trade no one spells out.

Companies optimise for continuity.
Markets reward relevance.
Careers only move when you move them.

Staying after growth has stopped isn’t loyalty.

It’s choosing familiarity
over the next version of your capability.

From the outside, everything looks fine.
From the inside, momentum quietly leaks away.

That’s how senior careers don’t fail.
They settle.

We all know someone.
Highly capable. Deeply loyal.
Stayed too long.
Still wishes they moved earlier.

♻️ Repost this for the person who needs permission to chase potential, not comfort.
🔔 Follow Ehsan Ali for grounded career truths shaped by lived experience.

You didn’t hit your 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠.
You learned to 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞 under it.

I’ve seen this with 𝟐,𝟎𝟎𝟎+ 𝐦𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐓 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬.

Not because you lack talent.
Not because you didn’t work hard.
But because you adapted.

To safe roles.
To being “reliable”.
To what felt realistic.

So when you speak to me, you say:

“I’m probably too late.”
“It won’t work in my market.”
“I’ve already tried everything.”

I’ve heard this from:
• An architect 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐭 $𝟐𝟎𝟎𝐊
• A senior director 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟖 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬
• An analytics and AI pro 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞

And yet:

• $200K → $𝟔𝟓𝟎𝐊+
• 18 months jobless → two $𝟑𝟎𝟎𝐊 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 in 10 weeks
• Invisible → Global 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟏𝟎𝟎 thought leader

Same people.
Same markets.
Different approach.

Here’s the 𝟓-𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬s I use to take clients from 

“𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞”
to 
“𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐈 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟.”
1️⃣ Career ≠ job
2️⃣ See your real power
3️⃣ Package your experience
4️⃣ Tell your story properly
5️⃣ Network like a pro
I break each step down in the carousel. 👉

♻️ Repost this if you know someone who’s too experienced to feel stuck.
🔔 Follow me (Ehsan Ali) for frameworks that make senior career moves strategic, not lucky.

The 5-Step Method I Use to Accelerate Career Growth

You can be very good at your work…
and still feel stuck.

Reliable.
Trusted.
Recognised.

Yet your role stays the same.

That’s the quiet frustration I see in senior IT careers all the time.

This week’s issue of The Shift breaks down why that happens
and the thinking shift that changes it.

If you’re a senior IT professional who’s delivering well
but not being trusted with bigger decisions yet,
this one is for you.

Click the image to read.
Move from reliable to promotable.

♻️ Repost for someone who needs this
➕ Follow Ehsan Ali

You can be very good at your work and still be stuck. Reliable. Trusted. Recognised. And yet… your role stays the same. If that sounds familiar, this 

Open article: The Shift | Issue #11 by Ehsan Ali • 4 min read

If you can’t clearly explain why you’re needed,
the room quietly decides without you.

And someone else gets the bigger role.

That’s how senior careers actually move.

Not on effort.
Not on tenure.
Not on how much you carry.

Those things make you useful.
They don’t make you necessary.

And being useful feels safe…
until you realise it’s also where careers stall.

At higher levels, decisions are made fast.
Often without you in the room.

The person who moves up is the one whose value is easy to explain:
– why them
– why now
– what breaks without them

If your impact needs a long explanation,
it loses force.

So you keep delivering.
You stay dependable.
You wait.

Meanwhile, someone else moves ahead.
Not louder.
Not smarter.
Just easier to place.

Over the last few years, working with 2,000+ senior professionals,
a pattern keeps repeating.

The ones who learned to clearly communicate why they were needed saw real shifts:
– 2–3 level role jumps
– $300K–$400K+ package moves
– senior roles created around their strengths

Most of them weren’t underperforming.
They were just being interpreted one level lower.

Same capability.
Very different results.

This isn’t a confidence problem.
It’s a communication problem.

When your value lands clearly, people pull you up.
When it doesn’t, they choose someone else.

♻️ Repost if relatable
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PS:
I’m hosting a small, invite-only roundtable soon with senior IT professionals working through this exact shift.

If you’d rather reflect quietly first, there’s also a short self-assessment quiz in my Featured section.

7 Career Traps Senior IT Pros Create Without Realising It

Not all career stalls come from bad bosses.
Or weak skills.
Or bad timing.

Most come from traps you build yourself.

They look like strengths.
They feel like professionalism.

They worked when you were mid-level.
Now they quietly cap your scope.

I see this daily, coaching senior IT professionals:

The hardest workers moving the slowest.
Not from lack of ability.
From patterns they never questioned.

Here are 7 career traps that show up as “doing the right thing”:

1️⃣ The Safe Pair of Hands
You deliver. Fix problems. Take on more.
Cost: Trusted but not expanded.

→ Shift from reliability to visible ownership.

2️⃣ The Quiet High Performer
Results are strong. Voice stays low.
Cost: Others define your value.

→ Frame your impact before it’s rewritten.

3️⃣ The Always-On Professional
Busy. Needed. Everywhere.
Cost: Activity replaces direction.

→ Cut work that doesn’t compound.

4️⃣ The Firefighter
Called in chaos. Calm under pressure.
Cost: Futures are decided without you.

→ Show up before things break.

5️⃣ The Low-Visibility Expert
Heads-down. Avoids politics.
Cost: Influence goes elsewhere.

→ Build proximity to decision-makers.

6️⃣ The Lateral Mover
New role. New logo. Same level.
Cost: Experience stops compounding.

→ Target stretch, not comfort.

7️⃣ The Approval Seeker
Careful. Aligned. Consensus-driven.
Cost: Bolder peers claim authority.

→ Decisive action earns leadership.

None of these come from laziness.

They come from success habits
that outlived their usefulness.

That’s how capable careers stall —
quietly, professionally, and without warning.

Which trap feels uncomfortably familiar?

♻️ Repost for a senior IT pro who delivers big but keeps plateauing
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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Greg Roche's LinkedIn Performance

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