Before we dive in, I want to take a moment to say thank you.

Thank you for reading this newsletter every week.
Thank you for showing up for your growth.
Thank you for trusting me with your career journey — whether you’re leveling up, navigating change, or building your second act.

This community is filled with ambitious, thoughtful, hard-working professionals who want more for their careers and for themselves.
I’m grateful for you — and I’m honored to be part of your path.

Wishing you and your family a meaningful, restful, joy-filled Thanksgiving. 🧡

This week, we’re breaking down a framework that quietly determines who gets promoted, who gets sidelined, and who gets protected inside every organization.

It’s the A/B/C Player Framework — the real grading system executives use behind closed doors to evaluate talent. I’ve watched this play out in boardrooms, compensation committees, and succession meetings for more than 25 years.

By the end of this newsletter, you’ll know exactly where you stand — and more importantly… how to level up.

🔥 A Players seek challenge.
They want pressure. They grow in it.

✨ B Players seek credit.
They want applause, not accountability.

🛋️ C Players seek comfort.
Stability. Safety. Minimal disruption.

💬 A Players are confident.
They say “I don’t know” without fear — because confidence is self-trust.

♟️ B Players are calculated.
Competent, but insecure. Always protecting their image.

🫥 C Players are careful.
Avoiding risk. Avoiding visibility. Avoiding being wrong.

C players aren’t the real problem.
B players are.

They look competent, but quietly:

A leaders avoid them.
A players outgrow them.
And eventually — the company moves past them.

A players don’t just work differently —
they operate on an entirely different level.

Here’s the mindset leaders privately use to identify A talent:

They analyze upstream impact, downstream effect, and overall lifecycle.

They report achievements, not activities.

They challenge the room and elevate the standard.

A players volunteer into chaos.
B players volunteer into visibility.
C players volunteer into nothing.

Decisiveness is a performance advantage.

B players defend.
A players adapt — fast.

They stay steady when others spiral.
Leaders trust calm operators.

Here’s how you level up — fast and strategically.

A players focus on outcomes, not optics.

Say yes before you feel ready. Grow into the room.

Master BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front.

A players surround themselves with A players.

The person who gets the midnight call becomes unforgettable.

Action creates visibility. Motion creates promotion.

Respond strategically. Don’t react impulsively.

A players don’t dim.
They take up space — unapologetically.

Your mindset determines your altitude.

🗞️WSJ — “Layoffs, Job Cuts, and Strategy Changes”

A quick but important read on why companies are shifting from broad layoffs to targeted, strategic cuts — and what that signals about business priorities heading into 2026.
The takeaway: companies are trimming roles, not just headcount. They’re keeping A-players, rethinking B-players, and eliminating anything that doesn’t directly drive value.

👉🏼 Read here

You don’t get promoted for what you do.
You get promoted for how you operate.

A players aren’t defined by perfection.
They’re defined by pattern:

And here’s the truth no one tells you:

Becoming an A player is a choice long before it’s a recognition.
It starts quietly.
Internally.
With the decision to operate differently from everyone around you.

You don’t need permission.
You need intention.

You’ve got the Edge. Now sharpen it.

Until next week,
— Deepali Vyas
Your Elite Recruiter
Doing the research so you don’t have to.

As we close out the year, I’m giving back to the community that’s been riding with me all year. December is your month to reset, reinvest, and get a head start on 2026.

Here’s what’s coming:

Mark your calendar:

I’ll be live on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube — breaking down career strategy, power language, mindset resets, and real talk about navigating the corporate game.

To help you take advantage of year-end downtime and walk into 2026 with clarity and confidence, I’m hosting two final webinars this month:

Book your spot here 👉 https://careergameplan.youcanbook.me

These are deep-dive strategy sessions designed to help you reset, reposition, and get ahead of the competition.

During my live sessions and across my social posts, I’ll be dropping:

I want to help as many people as possible — and this is my way of giving back to the community that continues to grow with me.

Big things coming. Stay close.

These openings are under the radar — not on LinkedIn, not on job boards. I’m sharing them here first, straight from my insider network.

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I would love to know what you thought of this newsletter and any feedback you have for me. Do you have a favorite part? Wish I would add something? Felt confused? Please reply and share your thoughts!