Hire AI Leaders Who Actually Use GenAI, Not Just Talk
I reviewed a lot of job descriptions for senior AI roles recently. What shocked me? Almost none asked candidates to show how they actually use GenAI themselves. Not opinions. Not buzzwords. Not “vision.” Actual usage. That is 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗲. 🤯 We are entering an era where the most dangerous hire is not someone who ignores AI. It is someone who can talk about AI all day and still use it like an intern on their team should. ⚠️ Companies do not need more bureaucrats with polished talking points about transformation. They need leaders who know how to use the most advanced tools well enough to 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀, decisions, products, and entire business models. 🛠️ Because the risk is not theoretical. It is waking up in 3 years and realizing your competitors did not just move faster. They 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 while you were hiring people fluent in politics, committees, and incremental change. 🏃♂️ If you are hiring for AI leadership and not testing for 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, you are not hiring for the future. You are hiring for theater. 🎭
Culture Begins With Every Click, Not Just Dashboards
Beyond the Dashboard: Why Culture Starts at the Keyboard by @Timothy_Hughes https://t.co/79z2sqM3yB @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesTips #SalesLeader #SalesEnablement #RevOps #Marketing #MarketingStrategy #MarketingSuccess #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence
Make Employee Experience a Permanent Executive Priority
Securing a Seat for Employee Experience at the Executive Table https://t.co/Myp5FxxqWx It’s time to stop talking about EX as if it’s an initiative and start treating it like what it truly is: a leadership priority that demands a permanent seat...
Buffett Skips Turnarounds, Chooses Easy Wins over Challenges
Buffett gets calls every week from companies begging him to take on a turnaround. He almost always says no. Not because he can't. Because business isn't the Olympics. There's no degree of difficulty bonus. Why jump 7 feet when a 1-foot bar...
Xbox Leaders Reveal Vision for Next‑Gen Gaming
NEW: I spoke to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty about where they want to take Xbox Lots here, going through the manifesto they published yesterday Free piece, with a transcript available for paying Game File subscribers...
Founders Usually Start as Poor Operators and Managers
The harsh reality is that most founders are terrible operators and people managers to start. I sure was. I had strong instincts for product design, and some innate leadership skills, but that’s not the same thing as leading a company with...
How Gruns Scaled to $1.2B in 33 Months
Gruns went from $0 to $1.2 billion in 33 months. We had the founder on MFM. He explained how he reversed engineered to $300 million in sales in 3 years. And the ideas he nearly started instead of Gruns (which is...
Customer‑Centric Culture Drives Winning Organizations
What separates organizations that win from those that wander is a customer-centric culture: where customer needs and perspectives are woven into every decision, process, and behavior. BUILT TO WIN https://t.co/sQoxVgFHBM https://t.co/np5TVG5XT7
Prioritize Deep Strategies Over Superficial Training First
Stop focusing on superficial change management like training and communication first. The real work happens sooner, focusing on the deeper, more impactful strategies that truly drive change. #ChangeManagement #Leadership https://t.co/eLTQos3zKJ
Align Culture, Model, and Values to Drive Turnaround
“Aligning the culture, op'g. model & values is foundational to any org. #turnaround. The #leadership must infuse the org. with a culture that bolsters the T/A intent, while energizing employees to bring their A-game to the #transformation challenge.” 💡 https://t.co/EFCIyCrgW8 https://t.co/hP80gvq0IV
Executive Coaching Demands Time, Money, and Emotional Capacity
Entering the coaching process with an executive coach takes time, money, and capacity. You have to dedicate time to doing work in between the sessions, not just the calls/meetings directly with your coach. You have to set aside funds, as...
AI‑Fears Prompt CEOs to Slash Staff, Not Innovate
We live in a moment where the loudest leadership move is the easiest one: cut staff in anticipation of AI. Pick a number. Trim a percentage. Call it strategic realignment. The market rewards the bold move. The CEO gets a...
Hire Those Who Teach You in Interviews
ICYMI: Fresh new article dropped: Zuck’s rule: “Only hire people you’d work for.” Nonsense: He wouldn’t and hasn’t worked for anyone. But, it points to a better test: Am I already learning from them during the interview? Would everyone else learn too? https://t.co/lywMRtGXYV
Trust Grows When Leaders Embrace Openness and Ask for Help
Trust grows through openness and asking for help. Video from Amsterdam Business Forum 2025, in conversation with Ikenna Azuike
Aim for 10x‑100x Breakthroughs, Not Incremental Gains
We just had the ex-President of Tesla on MFM. This guy joined when Tesla was 4 employees, and left when it was 4,000. One of the things he told Shaan was that at Tesla, the goal was never "make it 20%...
Adversity Delivers Insight—Turn Setbacks Into Growth
While presenting to 120 executives recently, I shared a powerful universal truth: 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. When you face setbacks or unexpected challenges, it’s easy to fall into the trap of commiserating. However, successful leaders know that these moments are filled...
Three Mandates to Accelerate Your Bank's AI Transformation
If your AI strategy is still on the innovation roadmap, you are already behind. In this episode, I share 3 leadership mandates to move toward a self driving bank. 👉 Watch the latest episode: https://t.co/P54LuzdywH https://t.co/KaTfkodOPt
Authentic Trust Beats Forced Fun in Hybrid Teams
#TimTalk - In a hybrid world, how do we build genuine team trust without falling into the trap of “forced fun” or Zoom happy hours? with Daria Rudnik https://t.co/rb2yxFhS0o via @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #Strategy #Culture #Motivation
Executive Leaders Must Trust Yet Verify SAP Projects
SAP projects require executive leadership to 'trust but verify.' It's not solely on the organization or the system integrator; leadership must ensure projects stay on track. #SAP #ProjectManagement #Leadership https://t.co/kvqfcjI37d
GitHub Outage Validates Employee Reliability Concerns
yesterday I reported on GitHub employee concerns about reliability and leadership, and then hours later GitHub suffered a catastrophic outage 😬 https://t.co/bu8hHLNJzi https://t.co/b14mPlkd29
AI Should Empower, Not Erode Critical Human Thinking
We say AI will empower people. But if we’re not careful, we may be suppressing the very critical thinking we need most. The goal isn’t just adoption. It’s helping people use AI safely, responsibly, and without degrading what makes us uniquely human. And leaders—stop...
Self‑Reflection, Not Empire‑Building, Drives True Success
Incredibly interesting interview with Frank Wang, founder and CEO of DJI "He said that after 20 years of entrepreneurship, what he is most satisfied with is not building a world-class company, but learning to reflect" Basically the opposite of retardmaxxing. While...
Align Executives Early on Project Goals and Priorities
Strategic alignment is key early on. Ensure your executive team understands the project's meaning, can articulate its organizational impact, and agrees on priorities. What do you want to achieve with this implementation? #ProjectManagement #Leadership https://t.co/KVrSA3wkdF
Leaving a Toxic Boss Reveals You're Not the Problem
A toxic boss will make you feel like you’re the problem… until you leave and realize you never were.
Politics and Visibility Outrun Competence in Career Speed
A lot of people get frustrated watching less capable people move faster, but that is what happens when relationships, visibility, and politics matter as much as competence.
Identify Your Leadership Path Before the Career Fork
At a certain point in a science or tech career, the path splits: lead the technical decisions or lead the people and organizational ones. Knowing which side you belong on before you're forced to choose is a real advantage.
Only Green/Yellow Status Hides Risks; Need Transparency
Status reports showing only green and yellow? If there's no red or detailed risk mitigation, something's being hidden or overlooked. Transparency is key for project success. Executive teams need to know the risks to provide support. #ProjectManagement #Transparency https://t.co/Q5YAwF8kkg
Leaders Decide; Evidence Is Insight, Not Action
Stop asking insights to do the work of leaders. Evidence informs. Leaders decide. Organizations move or stall based on whether those roles are clear and enforced. Insight is evidence. Evidence demands interpretation. Interpretation demands decision. https://t.co/sQqOka4PcI https://t.co/qTcZsruswN
Replit Thrives After Swapping SF for Spacious Foster City
Two years since Replit left SF. 10x valuation and 200x ARR later we’ve taken over much of the old IBM campus in Foster City and we’re still expanding. There’s something poetic about it: IBM helped create the industry. We’re helping reinvent how...
Culture Drives Leadership, Experience, and Business Success
Why Some Companies Win and Others Don’t: The Golden Thread Explained https://t.co/m2gPHtMdzd Golden Thread: Culture → Leadership Decisions → Employee Experience → Employee Behavior → Customer Experience → Business Outcomes https://t.co/XNBVm0W5JF
Investors Reject $888M Zaslav Parachute; Board Still Pays
This just in. Warner Bros. Discovery investors cast votes representing 1.4 billion shares AGAINST David Zaslav's golden parachute, that could cost the company $888 million. The board has indicated it will pay him the money, regardless of the...
Productivity Boom Stalls without New 10x Opportunities
Betting a technological breakthrough ends in economic collapse is asinine. Never happened once in history. What's actually happening right now is that your workers can do 10x more, but you haven't figured out how to point them at 10x more...
Xbox's New Chief Plans to Rethink Exclusives and Release Windows
Microsoft’s new Xbox chief is "reevaluating" exclusive games and release windowing. Asha Sharma has a new strategy for her return of Xbox. Full details 👇 https://t.co/fE1GLkCsVi
Move Fast When Mistakes Are Easily Reversible, Think First Otherwise
There's a constant debate about the Silicon Valley adage of "move fast and break things." I really like how the @Mejuri founders think about moving quickly and making fast decisions. If it is an outcome that you can reverse relatively easily,...
Tech Media Must Stop Uncritical CEO Quote Reporting
A recent New Yorker article put a spotlight on Sam Altman’s compulsive lying. It’s not a great look for tech media that echoed his statements. On Tech Won’t Save Us, I spoke with @kbode to discuss the problem of “CEO says...
U.S. Gloom Rises
🆓 Thursday links: rising American sadness, aging CEOs, and bad vibes around the World Cup. https://t.co/Z1edqT3L0H chart: https://t.co/OGPyVPgvqR https://t.co/XyByAktOKY
Mission and Culture: The Core of Successful Startups
Early in my founding journey, I used to think that mission and culture were just a bunch of buzzwords, not substantiated in anything. But now I think that companies are all about mission and culture. It's the only way for...
Hegseth's Success Stems From Smart, Aligned Staff
STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF What makes Hegseth so effective is that he has a staff that is smart and fully aligned. He cleared the office on Day 1. He was not afraid to cut people with questionable agendas. Caldwell’s firing turned out to be based on...
Top Sales Leaders Coach, Not Spreadsheet‑Obsessed
Great sales leaders don’t manage spreadsheets. They coach people. That’s where real performance comes from. #SalesLeadership https://t.co/h06RdSRHSy
Microsoft’s Executive Exodus Accelerates Early 2024
for my Notepad 📒 newsletter this week I'm digging into the wave of Microsoft executive departures in recent months. There's a lot of changes going on inside Microsoft, and the pace feels notable this early in the year. Live for...
Lululemon Hires Ex‑Nike Exec to Revive Plummeting Brand
Lululemon named a former Nike exec as its new CEO to turnaround the company, which is down ~75% from a peak market cap of $65B in 2024. Despite the drawdown, Lululemon remains the only $15B+ company ever founded with a mission...
Free Tool Turned 8‑figure ARR After Pricing Demand
Ev Kontsevoy gave Teleport away free as a lead magnet for his paid product. Customers kept calling asking to pay for the free tool anyway. After five requests he put a price tag on it. Teleport Enterprise had almost no...
Intangible Forces Drive Success, Yet Leaders Overlook Them
“Many of the critical factors for org. success are intangible agencies that can’t be measured by KPIs. Managers & leaders miss this insight b/c they suffer muddled thinking—largely due to distorted influences.” 🔗 https://t.co/6cwj8cMUdN #leadership #management #futureofwork https://t.co/DP4u0Dqwhj
Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Decade of Crisis Leadership, Climate Commitment
This week's guest on Zero is London's mayor Sadiq Khan. We had a wide-ranging conversation about his 10 years guiding the UK's capital through Brexit, the pandemic and two energy crises. All through it, he has remained deeply committed to...
GenAI Enables Asking Right Questions, Not More Dashboards
In healthcare, we never really had a data problem. And honestly, the same is true in most industries I’ve worked in. There was 𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮. Usually too much of it. 📊 Claims data. Operational data. Financial data. Customer data. Supply chain data. Workflow data. The real problem was...
Elite Founders Master ROI, Timing, and Rapid Learning
If you're an elite founder, you'll recognise yourself here: - You know when to pivot and when to persevere on an existing concept. - You know how to get the most out of every meeting and every person you meet. - You know...
Mistakes Teach More Than Successes—Learn From Them
If you’re not making many mistakes, you must not be learning much. Mistakes and failures are ultimately more valuable to you than successes because they provide the best learning. I detailed some of my biggest mistakes—and what I learned from them—as...
Trump Appoints Former Tobacco Exec to Top CDC Role
The Trump administration has crammed an astonishing number of political appointees into the highest echelons of #CDC, most with few or no medical or public health credentials. One of the latest is surprising: A former Big Tobacco exec. https://t.co/8jA8qfqMv6
9,000+ Leaders Embrace AI-Driven Digital Transformation
RT My LinkedIn Learning course, Digital Transformation for Leaders in the AI Era, has over 9,000 people started learning. #DigitalTransformation #AI @Star_CIO https://t.co/UbVcHko1qW
Great Leaders Begin with Why, Says Lynn King‑Tolliver
The most inspiring leaders start with WHY. Video from Urban Land Institute (ULI) 2024 with CRE investor and creator, Lynn King-Tolliver