The context

Tom was a long-time council member and a senior leader at a large tech company. He was respected, humble, and good at his job. He was also ready to quit.

He’d just been passed over for a promotion he was sure he’d earned. It went to someone who, in his view, hadn’t done the work. His instinct had always been to let his work speak for itself. It hadn’t. Leaving felt like the obvious answer, even though walking away would mean leaving significant money on the table.

The advice

Tom called Phyl Terry, CG’s founder, who began working with him as his coach. Phyl said he’d help him leave if that was the right answer. But first, he asked a few questions.

• Did your boss know you wanted that promotion? No, Tom had never said so.
• How much work have you put into building allies who support your work across the company? Not much.

That reframe changed everything. The problem wasn’t that Tom lacked the ability. It was that the people who decided promotions didn’t see what he and his team were doing. So they got to work:

• Say what you did. Not exaggerated, not borrowing credit. Just clearly and consistently share the real work you and your team deliver.
• Make your goals known. The people who decide your future can’t advocate for something they don’t know you want.
• Build allies on purpose. Map who supports you, who’s neutral, and who’s in the way, and turn neutrals into advocates.
• Don’t step on the landmines. When a new, self-promoting peer arrived who created chaos and delivered little, the work was staying steady and not reacting, rather than getting pulled into the fight.

The outcome

The next time around, Tom got the promotion, and it was a big one. Then he was sheepish about sharing the news. Phyl pushed him to share it anyway, because his win mattered to everyone around him who worked the same way. People across the company were genuinely energized by it.

Since then, Tom has stepped into a high-profile role in one of the most in-demand areas in tech, setting him up for even more opportunities ahead.

Why it worked

Phyl didn’t start with “stay” or “go.” He started with what Tom hadn’t tried yet.

The tools were about visibility, not ego. Tom never had to become someone he wasn’t.

The support was long-term. Over several years, Tom had a coach and a community helping him navigate the moments when it would have been easiest to react or quit.

The broader point

Good, team-first leaders don’t need to change who they are to compete. They need support, the right tools, and people in their corner. That’s what CG is for.

The advice might seem obvious now. Having peers to act on it with is what made the difference.

I want you to trumpet it. There are a lot of good people around the company who are going to feel good that this happened. (Phyl)