We assume clarity comes from context. But for executives, clarity comes from the first sentence.

In the past few weeks, I’ve coached multiple students preparing for exec updates. Almost all of them made the same mistake: they buried the point.

Instead of starting with the key takeaway, they walked through setup, dependencies, team background, and then—finally—got to the punchline. But by that point, the room had already moved on.

Execs don’t wait around for a climax. If they’re going to remember something, it has to come first.

Most updates are designed backwards. They’re built like essays: intro, supporting points, conclusion. But meetings aren’t essays. They’re fast-paced, multi-threaded, high-stakes.

If your main point gets lost in the middle, no one repeats it. And if no one repeats it, your impact fades the moment the meeting ends.

Here’s the fix:

Start with the line you want repeated.

Lead with the bottom line. Pause. Then explain.

Last week, Mateo gave a product update in our live session. He shared great detail—roadmap, metrics, next steps. But when I asked what the update was about, the audience blanked.

We reframed it like this:

“We’re launching a monetization test next week to help creators earn more. It’s a key step toward boosting platform retention.”

Once he led with that, everything else clicked.

I think we’ll look back and realize: The professionals who rise fastest in their careers are the ones who speak in headlines, not paragraphs.

They don’t ramble. They don’t hedge. They give you the takeaway before your attention drifts.

If you’ve got a meeting with senior leaders this week, ask yourself:

– What’s the one line I hope they remember? – If they repeated my update to someone else, what would I want them to say? – Can I start with that?

It’ll feel abrupt at first. But it’ll make you sound clear, decisive, and worth listening to.

If your takeaway shows up in the middle, it might not show up at all.

I'd love to learn more about what your needs are and how I can best help you.

👉 Mind taking 20 seconds to answer 5 short questions? Click ​HERE​ to take the survey.

– Preston