She wanted to handle it well. She cared about this employee and knew the stakes were high. A vague answer would feel evasive and a blunt one could damage trust, trigger disengagement, or send a strong performer updating their résumé by the end of the week.

I wrote this piece for ACC's Corporate Counsel Now because I kept seeing the same pattern in my C-suite leadership coaching work: technically brilliant lawyers who were stuck because of how they were perceived.

The PI Guidebook: How the Promotability Index® was my attempt to answer one question: “How do I give leaders the kind of candid, behind-the-curtain insight I wish I’d had on my way to the C‑suite?”