Hitting every goal should feel like progress. Instead, it often leaves high performers stuck, frustrated, and quietly falling behind. Kendall Berg breaks down why traditional goal setting systems like OKRs and KPIs reward performance optics while hiding the problems leaders actually need to see.

In this conversation with Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking, Kendall challenges the belief that better metrics lead to better decisions. They unpack why green numbers can create dangerous blind spots, how teams learn to filter bad news, and why leaders become the last to know when strategy is breaking down. The episode introduces a smarter alternative to goal chasing that helps teams surface real issues, think more strategically, and stay aligned as priorities shift.

Radhika shares her puzzle setting and puzzle solving framework, a practical way to replace false certainty with curiosity, learning, and iteration. Instead of obsessing over targets, leaders learn how to frame the right questions, invite honest feedback, and guide teams through uncertainty without losing credibility or control. This episode is essential listening for professionals who want to move from execution to influence and lead with clarity in fast changing environments.

• Why do OKRs and KPIs hide problems instead of revealing them?

• How does hitting every goal still lead to stalled career growth?

• What is the puzzle setting method and how does it replace goal chasing?

• How can leaders admit uncertainty without losing authority?

• What is the first step to changing goal driven cultures without resistance?

FREE toolkit for puzzle-setting and

puzzle-solving: https://www.radicalproduct.com/toolkit/#OHLToolkit

Follow Radhika Dutt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radhika-dutt/

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move.
Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/

Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_

Being busy is not the same thing as moving forward in your career.
In 2026, growth comes from alignment, not effort. If your goals are not tied to what your company is actually measured on, they will not move your career forward. Kendall breaks down how to set career goals that match company priorities like AI, efficiency, and revenue so your work gets noticed and rewarded.

This episode lays out a clear goal-setting playbook for high performers who want impact without burnout. Kendall explains how to use an impact versus effort filter, set boundaries that protect capacity, anchor goals in leadership identity, and start promotion conversations early so expectations are clear. This is how you plan 2026 with intention and position yourself for real momentum.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How do I align my career goals with company priorities in 2026?

• What is the impact versus effort method for goal setting at work?

• When should promotion conversations start?
  

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move.
Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/

Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_

Strong performance does not automatically translate into influence at work. Many high performers deliver results yet still get misread, underestimated, or quietly sidelined. That gap is where careers slow down, not because of skill, but because leadership presence and perception do not always match capability.

Kendall sits down with Tracy Nolan to break down what actually moves careers forward in fast changing corporate environments. Tracy draws from decades of executive leadership across Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and healthcare to explain why continuous learning is nonnegotiable, how leaders earn credibility without overspeaking, and what it really takes to lead with strength and compassion at the same time. They unpack subtle behaviors that signal authority in meetings, the hidden cost of coasting, and why career ownership is a personal responsibility, not your company's job.

This conversation also tackles bias, crisis leadership, and performance management without sugarcoating. Tracy shares how transparent communication builds trust during uncertainty, why tailored feedback matters more than one size leadership, and how honest conversations protect both people and teams. If you want to stay relevant, lead with confidence, and build long term career momentum, this episode delivers clarity without corporate fluff.

• Why do high performers get stuck even when results are strong

• How leadership presence shapes credibility in meetings

• What helps women overcome bias at senior levels

• How to lead with authority and compassion during crisis

• Why owning your career matters more than waiting for promotion paths

What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

🎯 Take the full Level Up Leadership Course: https://stan.store/thatcareercoach/p/get-started-with-my-play-the-corporate-game-course

Kendall Berg is a career coach and creator, helping ambitious professionals master the unspoken rules of corporate life. Through Secrets of the Career Game, she shares honest conversations and practical tools to help you communicate clearly, lead confidently, and navigate work with strategy — not stress.

☕️ Want personalized career advice? Book a free 15-minute Coffee Chat with me — let's talk strategy, leadership, or your next move.
Book your Coffee Chat → https://calendly.com/thatcareercoach/15-min-follow-up

Want to know more about Kendal Berg, that career coach?

Follow her on Instagram: @thatcareercoach_

Check out her courses on the website: https://thatcareercoach.net/

Watch on YouTube:@thatcareercoach_