Leadership

Poor leadership doesn’t just hurt morale. It drains everything — energy, trust, and potential. People don’t quit overnight. They disengage quietly first. They stop caring. Then they stop trying. ⚠️ Productivity drops. ⚠️ Innovation stalls. ⚠️ Your best people leave — and your culture goes with them. The real cost of poor leadership isn’t measured in dollars. It’s measured in lost potential and silent exits. Here’s how great leaders prevent that: 1) Take radical ownership. Admit when you’re wrong and learn faster than you fail. 2) Listen with intent. Feedback isn’t criticism — it’s direction. 3) Lead with clarity. Confusion is the enemy of trust. 4) Develop others. The best leaders grow leaders, not followers. 5) Show empathy daily. People give more when they feel seen and valued. Leadership isn’t a title — it’s a daily decision to serve better.

Insecure leaders build loyalists, whereas visionary leaders build challengers. The difference determines whether organisations thrive or merely survive. Loyalists tell you what you want to hear. Challengers tell you what you need to know. A CEO once surrounded himself with people who competed for his approval rather than competed for better outcomes. - When the market shifted, nobody warned him.  - When competitors innovated, nobody challenged his response.  - When customers complained, nobody questioned his strategy. His team was too busy being loyal to be useful. Meanwhile, the companies that dominated during that same period? Their leadership meetings looked like intellectual battlegrounds. Those leaders didn't want cheerleaders. They wanted intelligent opposition. The best leaders I know actively recruit their own critics, whereas insecure leadership creates three toxic patterns: ➡️ The echo chamber effect: Only hiring people who think like you, ensuring blind spots become company-wide vulnerabilities. ➡️ The approval addiction: Making decisions based on internal consensus rather than external reality. ➡️ The challenge penalty: Punishing dissent so effectively that people stop offering it, even when the company desperately needs it. Visionary leadership does the opposite: ✅ Cognitive diversity: Deliberately building teams with different perspectives, experiences, and thinking styles. ✅ Constructive conflict: Creating systems where disagreement is expected, respected, and rewarded. ✅ Intellectual humility: Leading with the assumption that the best idea might come from anyone, anywhere, at any time. The leaders who build challengers? Their people stick around through the tough times because they know their voice matters, their thinking is valued, and their contributions shape outcomes. They don't just work for the leader. They work with the leader. After four decades, I've learned this: The most successful leaders aren't the ones who eliminate opposition. They're the ones who elevate it. ✅ Your next hire should scare you a little.  ✅ Your next meeting should challenge you completely.  ✅ Your next decision should survive the toughest questions your team can ask. Because in business, like in life, the people who make you comfortable are rarely the ones who make you better. #consciousleadership #betheexample

Your leadership team is underperforming. (And cracking the whip harder won't fix it.) Here's what nobody tells you about accountability: The harder you push, the less they deliver. I've watched CEOs destroy their executive teams this way: 🔥 Public callouts in meetings 🔥 Micromanaging every decision   🔥 Threats disguised as "motivation" 🔥 Fear-based deadline pressure Result: Your best leaders become corporate zombies. They show up. They comply. They stop caring. The expensive truth: Fear creates compliance. Clarity creates commitment. And you need commitment to win. Real story from last month: → CEO constantly berated his team for missing targets → 3 VPs quit in 6 months → Company lost $2M in transition costs alone Different CEO, different approach: → Created radical clarity around expectations → Listened without judgment → Built safety to admit mistakes early → Revenue up 40% in 12 months The difference? One used accountability as a weapon. The other used it as a framework for excellence. The 4 frameworks that create compassionate accountability: 1. RACI Matrix - Ends the "whose job is this?" chaos (Everyone knows their lane AND their value) 2. OKRs - Aligns hearts and minds (Shared goals create shared ownership) 3. EOS Accountability Chart - One person, one seat (Clear ownership without overlapping egos) 4. OGSM - Strategy meets reality (No more "I thought you meant..." conversations) But here's the key: These aren't hammers to hit people with. They're maps to help people win. The paradox of leadership: High standards + High support = High performance High standards + Low support = High turnover Your leadership team doesn't need more pressure. They need more clarity. Because when accountability comes from compassion, not control: → Problems get solved, not hidden → Leaders take ownership, not cover → Teams push forward, not back Stop managing through fear. Start leading through frameworks. Your leadership team is capable of greatness. But only if you create the conditions for it. Save this. Share it with your team. Because the best leaders don't create followers. They create owners. And ownership starts with clarity. P.S. Want a PDF of my Accountability Cheat Sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dpWsuT4b ♻️ Repost to help a CEO in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more leadership insights. — 📢 Want to lead like a world-class CEO? Join my FREE TRAINING: "How to Work with Your Board to Accelerate Your Company’s Growth" Thu Jul 10th, 12 noon Eastern / 5pm UK time https://lnkd.in/dCJ-nCxM 📌 The CEO Accelerator starts July 23rd. 20+ Founders & CEOs have already enrolled. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/dgRr89bM

Leaders' overreliance on "DEI programming" is one of the biggest barriers in the way of real progress toward achieving #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion. Do you know where these events came from? The lunch and learns, cultural heritage celebrations, book clubs, and the like? Historically, these were all events put on by volunteer advocates and activists from marginalized communities who had little to no access to formal power and yet were still trying to carve out spaces for themselves in hostile environments. For leaders to hire figureheads to "manage" these volunteer efforts, refuse to resource them, and then take credit for the meager impact made nonetheless is nothing short of exploitation. If your workplace's "DEI Function" is a single director-level employee with an executive assistant who spends all day trying to coax more and more events out of your employee resource groups? I'm sorry to say that you are part of the problem. Effective DEI work is change management, plain and simple. It's cross-functional by necessity, requiring the ongoing exercise of power by executive leadership across all functions, the guidance and follow-through of middle management, the insight of data analysts and communicators, and the energy and momentum of frontline workers. There is no reality where "optional fill-in-the-blank history month celebrations" organized by overworked volunteers, no matter how many or how flashy, can serve as a substitute. If your workplace actually wants to achieve DEI, resource it like you would any other organization-level goal. 🎯 Hire a C-Level executive responsible for it or add the job responsibility to an existing cross-functional executive (e.g., Chief People Officer) 🎯 Give that leader cross-functional authority, mandate, headcount, and resources to work with other executives and managers across the organization on culture, process, policy, and behavior change 🎯 Set expectations with all other leaders that DEI-related outcomes will be included in their evaluation and responsibility (e.g., every department leader is responsible for their employees' belonging scores and culture of respect in their department). 🎯 Encourage responsible boundary-setting and scoping of volunteer engagement, ensuring that if Employee Resource Groups and DEI Councils/Committees want to put on events, it is because they are energized and supported to do so—not because they feel forced to run on fumes because it's the only way any impact will be made. It's long past time for our workplaces' DEI strategies to modernize away from the volunteer exploitation of "DEI programming" toward genuine organizational transformation. What steps will your leaders take to be a part of this future?

Listen Tax Managers: Just Doing Compliance Can Stall Your Career in Tax I’ve seen this play out more times than I can count. A tax professional spends years mastering return filings, audits, reconciliations, and due dates. But somewhere along the way, they get boxed into a “compliance-only” role. You’re seen as reliable. You’re the go-to person during deadlines. But you’re not in the room when business decisions are made. Why? Because compliance, while critical, doesn’t showcase your full potential as a strategic advisor. To grow as a tax leader, you need to: - Understand the business model. - Identify tax optimization opportunities. - Analyze data for better decision-making. - Speak the language of the CFO and business heads. In short, move from being a cost center to a value creator. Compliance is the foundation, but growth lies in interpretation, advisory, and impact. If you’re a tax professional looking to grow—start asking more questions, build cross-functional relationships, and don’t wait to be invited to the strategy table. Earn your seat. #tax #taxmanager #career #taxleader #linkedingrowth #linkedincareer

Sustainability officers are an increasingly endangered species. Last week, I spoke with a group of sustainability officers navigating a corporate landscape where terms like CSR, ESG, and climate change have become dirty words, or at least politically charged. Many companies are pulling back from public commitments on sustainability—not necessarily because the urgency has diminished, but because the risk of backlash has grown. In this environment, nature and biodiversity are emerging as safer entry points for corporate sustainability efforts. While climate change is often framed as a divisive issue, nature remains more broadly accepted across political & ideological lines. 👉 Why nature can be a less controversial framing Many companies are using nature as a strategic way to maintain environmental commitments while avoiding political entanglements. Here’s why: 🌳 Universality & positive connotations – Nature is widely seen as something to be cherished, regardless of political views. Protecting forests, oceans, and wildlife can carry fewer ideological conflicts than decarbonization mandates or carbon pricing. 🤝 Reduced partisanship – Climate discussions frequently spark debates over regulations, economic costs, and industry impact. In contrast, nature-based initiatives—such as habitat restoration, conservation, and biodiversity projects—are less likely to be viewed as partisan issues. 🌱 Tangible local impact – Nature-focused projects have visible, immediate benefits: cleaner air & water, restored landscapes, and healthier ecosystems. These local, concrete outcomes resonate more than global climate targets, which can feel abstract or distant. ⛈️ Strategic communication – By framing sustainability efforts around nature, companies can continue advancing environmental goals—like emissions reduction—without explicitly linking them to politically charged climate policies. 👉 The resilience narrative: An even broader framework For some companies, even protecting nature is seen as too controversial. That’s where another concept is gaining traction: resilience. One sustainability officer shared how their company avoids even the word "nature" in favor of resilience-focused language: ✅ Resilient supply chains that withstand environmental & geopolitical disruptions ✅ Resilient infrastructure that adapts to extreme weather & resource scarcity ✅ Resilient business models that reduce risk & increase long-term stability By focusing on resilience, companies can integrate sustainability into their strategy without triggering resistance—not as an ideological stance, but as a smart business decision. As the political landscape shifts, sustainability officers are finding new ways to keep moving forward. Whether through nature-based solutions or resilience framing, the goal remains the same: building a future where businesses & ecosystems can thrive together. If you're in this space, how are you navigating the current climate? 📷 Olympic Peninsula by me.

A third of Palantir Technologies's PMs go on to start their own company, and their alumni have gone on to start nine unicorns—the highest rate of any company in the world other than PayPal. I spoke with Nabeel S. Qureshi to understand why. Nabeel spent nearly eight years at Palantir, working as a forward-deployed engineer. His work at Palantir ranged from accelerating the COVID-19 response to applying AI to drug discovery to optimizing aircraft manufacturing at Airbus. He's also a founder, writer, researcher, and visiting scholar of AI policy at the Mercatus Center (alongside Tyler Cowen). In our conversation, we discuss: 🔸 How the “forward-deployed engineer” model works and why it creates exceptional product leaders 🔸 How Palantir transformed from a “sparkling Accenture” into a $200 billion data/software platform company with more than 80% margins 🔸 The unconventional hiring approach that screens for independent-minded, intellectually curious, and highly competitive people 🔸 Why the company intentionally avoids traditional titles and career ladders—and what they do instead 🔸 Why they built an ontology-first data platform that LLMs love 🔸 How Palantir’s controversial “bat signal” recruiting strategy filtered for specific talent types 🔸 The moral case for working at a company like Palantir 🔸 Much more Listen now 👇 • YouTube: https://lnkd.in/g3VyQDNq • Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gvZf2JWU • Apple: https://lnkd.in/grs74Kyr Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting the podcast: 🏆 WorkOS — Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs: https://workos.com/lenny 🏆 Attio — The powerful, flexible CRM for fast-growing startups: https://lnkd.in/gyfyBNGF 🏆 OneSchema — Import CSV data 10x faster: https://oneschema.co/lenny Some key takeaways: 1. Much of Palantir’s success came from embedding engineers at client locations 4-5 days per week, creating rapid feedback cycles and deep customer understanding that traditional approaches couldn’t match. 2. Their model involves solving one customer’s (very big and valuable) problem, then abstracting that solution into a product you can sell to everyone else. 3. Companies that take distinctive stances (that turn some people off) naturally filter for deeply aligned employees while repelling those who wouldn’t thrive, creating stronger cultures than trying to please everyone. 4. Removing hierarchical titles (making everyone “forward-deployed engineers”) reduced internal competition and politics, forcing recognition based on merit and impact rather than position. 5. New AI tools enable less-technical employees to deliver custom solutions that previously required senior engineers, making this business model viable at lower price points ($250,000 vs. $5 million).

Africa holds over $5.6 trillion in untapped mineral wealth. Yet, for generations, this vast potential has rarely translated into prosperity for the continent’s people. Instead, it has fueled extraction without empowerment, a global paradox where the richest lands are often home to the poorest populations. But times are changing. A new generation of African leaders like Hon. Martha Karua, SC, entrepreneurs like Chris Kirubi, policymakers like Hezena Lemaletian, and thinkers like Plo Lumumba is rising, determined to shift the narrative from exploitation to ownership. From being resource-rich and revenue-poor to becoming resource-smart and innovation-driven. Africa doesn't just need to mine its minerals, it needs to own the value chain: -Exploration -Processing -Manufacturing -Global distribution We must invest in skills, infrastructure, and governance that ensure our natural wealth builds sustainable, inclusive development for Africans, by Africans. The future of global industry runs through Africa’s soil. But whether we sell raw ore or lead global markets is a decision we must own, now. #AfricaRising #NaturalResources #EconomicEmpowerment #SustainableDevelopment #AfricanLeadership #LinkedInAfrica #ResourceOwnership #TrillionDollarOpportunity

No retail background. No fashion experience. She was head of HR. Now? She leads Chanel. Leena Nair’s path to the top wasn’t traditional. But it’s exactly what makes her leadership so powerful. Here’s how she’s redefining leadership and career path: 1. From small-town India to the C-Suite Leena was never the obvious choice. • Started on a factory floor in India • Rose to CHRO of Unilever • Achieved gender parity in global leadership And when Chanel called? She almost said no. What changed her mind? A call with mentor Indra Nooyi, who reframed her “weaknesses” as her strengths. ✅ She wasn’t what the industry expected. She became what it needed. 2. She leads a $20B brand without chasing the spotlight Leena doesn’t chase hype. She avoids the spotlight. She turns down 1,995 of 2,000 speaking requests. Instead, she leads by listening. Her first month at Chanel? No press. No product launch. Just people. She visited ateliers. Met milliners, artisans, embroidered. And asked: “Help me understand why we do it this way.” She made humility her leadership edge. In a high-gloss industry, she brought calm. ✅ She centers people, not PR. 3. Rewriting What Power Looks Like Under her leadership, Chanel is transforming, quietly but boldly. • Fondation Chanel funding grew from $20M → $100M • Over 60% of leadership roles now held by women • Still no e-commerce for fashion, craft over convenience Success is measured differently here: • Only 20% of bonuses tied to financials • The rest? Tied to impact on people, brand, and planet ✅ She’s not chasing quarterly wins. She’s building century-long relevance. Leena Nair didn’t come from the runway. She’s not loud. She’s not flashy. She’s not typical. And that’s exactly why she works. Join this FREE masterclass to learn how quiet, strategic leaders reach executive roles. https://lnkd.in/gEXrUQPM

Lack of Leadership Cohesiveness is one of the top reasons #Strategy Execution and Implementation fails. Cohesiveness is defined as the degree to which members of a group are bonded together in a united manner, characterized by mutual trust, commitment to group tasks, and a shared sense of purpose. This lack of cohesiveness can also be explained using Patrick Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Let's break down these five dysfunctions: 1. Absence of Trust - Invulnerability: When team members lack trust in one another, it fosters hesitancy in being open and vulnerable. This leads to a breakdown in honest communication and a tendency to hide weaknesses and mistakes. 2. Fear of Conflict - Artificial Harmony: In an environment lacking trust, team members are often apprehensive about engaging in constructive conflict or confronting challenging issues. This fear of conflict tends to result in superficial harmony and a failure to address crucial matters. 3. Lack of Commitment - Ambiguity: Without a healthy atmosphere for constructive conflict, team members may fail to wholeheartedly commit to decisions. This can give rise to uncertainty, indecision, and a lack of support for the chosen course of action. 4. Avoidance of Accountability - Low Standards: When there is a deficit in commitment, team members may neglect their responsibility to hold one another accountable for their actions and outcomes. 5. Inattention to Results - Status & Ego: The final dysfunction emerges when a team prioritizes individual goals or the status quo over collective outcomes. Effective teams concentrate on achieving shared objectives, but when this focus is absent, team performance and overall success suffer. Here are some of the culture practices I've introduced and guided leadership teams through: ➡️Addressing the Absence of Trust: Encourage vulnerability and authenticity by sharing experiences and insights from failures and life lessons. Cultivate a culture of "failing fast forward." ➡️Tackling the Fear of Conflict: Implement culture practices like "Disagree and Commit" and "Constructive Confrontation." Equip leaders with the skills to engage in difficult conversations constructively and radical candor. ➡️Boosting Commitment: Foster commitment through inclusive leadership approaches such as consultative circles and leadership listening labs. ➡️Addressing the Avoidance of Accountability: Develop a culture of peer-to-peer accountability through co-sponsorships, peer coaching, and check-out accountability circles where each leader openly shares their commitment to the group. ➡️Focusing on Results: Shift the focus to shared balanced scorecards and goals that emphasize team results over individual achievements. Want to become a Certified Strategy & Implementation Consultant? Check out the program we co-created with Jeroen Kraaijenbrink at Strategy.Inc. Apply now and join our network our global strategy consultants. #businessplanning #teambuilding