After ten years of coaching C‑suite leaders and advising CEOs and founders across industries, I’ve seen three recurring inflection points that make or break careers. In each of these moments, certain patterns separate the leaders who grow from those who stay stuck. Here’s what I’ve learned from a decade of watching executives win—and lose—at these inflection points.

“I keep waiting for the email that says, ‘We made a mistake,’” she sighed over lunch as we ducked into a booth in the back corner. “They think I’m this confident, strategic leader but I feel like I’m just really good at faking it.” I wish I could tell you this was unusual. It isn’t.

Dear Friends, Change is hard. Even when we intellectually know it's necessary—or inevitable—our emotional brain often has other plans....