Most professionals believe they’re high performers until they learn what separates truly exceptional talent from the rest. Deepali Vyas, an executive recruiter who has conducted over 50,000 interviews across boardrooms at top companies, believes most people drastically misunderstand where they actually stand in the corporate hierarchy—and that the real threat to organizational performance isn’t who you’d expect.
Vyas, who has over 300,000 followers on TikTok, posted a video this week that shares how leaders classify talent, revealing why some professionals thrive while others stagnate. The framework hinges on what fundamentally motivates each tier of performer.
“A-players seek challenge, B-players seek credit, and C-players seek comfort,” she said in the video.
Confident vs. calculated vs. careful
An A-player, according to Vyas, wants pressure. They actively gravitate toward stretch goals, ambitious feedback cycles, and colleagues who make them sharper. They grow in high-stakes environments.
B-players, by contrast, are driven by recognition and validation. They perform competently enough to earn praise while carefully avoiding situations that might expose gaps in their expertise.
C-players, meanwhile, simply want safety and anonymity. They’re less interested in advancement than in staying unnoticed.
According to Vyas, A-level talent has confidence, and they’re comfortable enough to say “I don’t know.” While that might sound counterintuitive, Vyas says this means A-players are secure enough not to try and fake it by offering uninformed advice.
B-players operate differently. They’re calculated, technically competent, but fundamentally insecure. Vyas believes this is a dangerous combination because it makes them appear credible while they’re quietly limiting their team’s potential.
“They perform well enough to get recognition, but avoid anything that exposes gaps,” she said. “They block talent, slow innovation, and lower the ceiling for everyone around them.”
C-players, meanwhile, are careful to the point of paralysis, according to Vyas. They hide rather than risk being wrong.
But while you might read the above descriptions and think C-players are the “bottom performers,” and would thus drag down results, Vyas has a different opinion—one that might surprise you.
“C-players aren’t the real problem. B-players are,” she said. “B-players look competent while quietly damaging performance, blocking growth, and suffocating A-level talent. A-leaders avoid them, A-players outgrow them, and companies eventually push past them.”
To Vyas, the real cost of B-players isn’t immediately visible. They don’t fail spectacularly. They succeed just enough to stay embedded in the organization while systematically raising the barriers to exceptional performance.
You can watch Vyas’ full TikTok on the topic of A, B, and C players below:
@elite.recruiter A/B/C Player Framework A Players Chase Pressure. B Players Chase Credit. C Players Chase Comfort. Most people think they’re A players… until they hear how A players actually operate. Here’s the truth no one in HR will tell you: 🔺 A players seek challenge. They want pressure, feedback, stretch goals, and people who elevate them. 🔸 B players seek credit. They hire down, protect their ego, and look competent while quietly slowing the whole team down. 🔻 C players seek comfort. They avoid risk, avoid conflict, avoid growth — and eventually get left behind. After 25 years and 50,000+ executive interviews, I can spot a B player in seconds… and I can definitely tell when I should be marketing an A player straight to my clients. If you want to understand how leaders REALLY classify talent behind closed doors… Comment “ZOOM” and come to my next live webinar. I’ll break down the promotion politics, power dynamics, and hidden rules that decide who rises and who gets quietly sidelined. My mission — I tell you what they won’t. #corporatetruths#careeradvice#eliterecruiter#officepolitics#aplayer♬ original sound – Elite Recruiter – Deepali Vyas