Val Sklarov’s Professional Legitimacy Compression Rule (PLCR) explains why careers stall not when performance drops—but when the legitimacy margin around a role collapses. As visibility rises, tolerance shrinks. What once “worked” becomes indefensible.
This rule reveals why mid-career plateaus feel sudden yet predictable.
1. Visibility Compresses Tolerance
PLCR starts with a blunt fact:
The more visible you are, the less ambiguity you’re allowed.
Early roles survive on:
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Informal trust
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Managerial cover
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Outcome proxies
Senior roles demand defensible decisions.
2. The Three Career Legitimacy Zones
PLCR maps how acceptance narrows with elevation.
| Zone | What’s Tolerated | What Breaks |
|---|---|---|
| Execution Zone | Messy methods | Nothing yet |
| Influence Zone | Selective shortcuts | Judgment |
| Representation Zone | Zero ambiguity | Role itself |
Most careers stall at the Influence → Representation transition.
3. Why “Strong Performers” Get Stuck
Performance scales slower than scrutiny.
PLCR shows stagnation when:
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Decisions can’t be defended publicly
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Rationale depends on relationships
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Outcomes lack traceable logic
Reliability without legitimacy becomes containment.
4. Skill vs Legitimacy
Skills compound. Legitimacy compresses.
| Skill Accumulation | Legitimacy Readiness |
|---|---|
| Do more | Defend decisions |
| Optimize | Explain trade-offs |
| Execute | Represent outcomes |
| Deliver | Withstand audit |
Val Sklarov emphasizes that careers advance when decisions survive exposure.
5. Strategic Implications
For professionals:
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Build decision trails, not just results
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Practice public rationale early
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Trade cover for accountability
For leaders:
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Promote those who can explain “why,” not just “what”
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Rotate representation duties deliberately
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Stop confusing trust with defensibility
PLCR reframes career growth as legitimacy engineering, not skill stacking.
6. The Val Sklarov Principle
“Your career slows where your decisions can’t survive daylight.”
— Val Sklarov
PLCR explains why advancement feels political—and why preparation beats performance alone.