Aesara Partners 

At Aesara Partners, our mission is simple: enable you to be the best version of yourself. We offer a range of focused services that unlock the potential of people, teams and cultures to maximise business performance. 

Collectively our Partners and Associates have decades of experience both in executive coaching and as board level leaders themselves working in multiple sectors across global markets.

Partner & Executive Coach

Doshisha University

Professor of Strategic Management, Global MBA Program

The CFO Coach K.K.

The CFO Coach K.K. is a boutique executive coaching firm specializing in developing High-Performance​ Financial Leaders and Teams.

Founder & Executive Coach

Kansai Gaidai University

•	Awarded President's Global Education Award (Teacher of the Year).

Professor of Leadership & Management

Benesse Holdings, Inc. (USD 4.5B; Tokyo Stock Exchange Code: 9783)

•	Member of the Board of Directors for Berlitz Corporation; Benesse Corporation; and Benesse Style Care.  Chairman of Audit Committee for Berlitz Corporation. Member of Benesse Holdings Pension Committee.
•	Global CFO covering all 40+ Benesse group companies
•	Championed and supported multiple cash generation initiatives including a CFO led "Save to Grow" initiative to improve Company Financial performance and to identify significant savings for business reinvestment
•	Enhanced Finance bench strength and hired a high potential team to start financial business consulting
•	Implemented several process and capability best practices to move group companies towards global standards

Global Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Senior Vice President

McCann Worldgroup Holdings

• Overall Responsibility for Operations (Finance, IT, Legal, and Administration - 10 legal entities) 
• Successfully turned around long term loss making lead agency by delivering double digit margin improvements within two years
• Delivered double digit margin improvements for all six MWG Group companies 
• Built a new Finance team and moved from Scorekeeping to Business Partnership and improved business performance
• Major projects within last two years include: 
  - Shared Service center creation/migration
  - New Financial System Migration
  - Acquisition & Divestiture
  - Business Turnaround
  - Retirement Plan consolidation/change
  - Office relocation/rent reductions

Group Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, and Member of The Board

Becton, Dickinson and Company

• Led Finance, Procurement, General Affairs, and Rebates teams (43 staff) to deliver multi-million dollar cash and profit performance improvement for first year and beyond. Exceeded all budget expectations.
• Engaged Japan Management Team and Global Finance Leadership Team on company objectives to deliver best outcome (Finance Transformation initiative, Sales effectiveness improvement, Key Account Management, Business Continuity plan, and strategy/selection of backup distribution center).  Led process for 2012-16 Business Plan development
• Developed and executed Finance department strategy and vision to move from scorekeeping to business partnership. Implemented job rotation program and hired several high potential employees to improve bench strength.
• Championed multiple Finance and Procurement initiatives including definition and implementation of new 401k Retirement Plan; divestiture of non-core business; change of primary banks (reduced bank fees by over 30%); vendor reduction process, and new travel expense management system 
• Taught New Manager Essentials program and selected as leadership trainer for PEPFAR program in South Africa to teach Leadership and Change Management to African Health Ministry officials

Finance and Administration Director

Avon Products Inc.

•	Implementation project leader for Avon Sales Leadership Framework (ASLF) – Highest priority project for the Company to adapt to a new Sales Model.  Completed project implementation in record timing.  Awarded regional award as part of ASLF Team. Only person in Asia recognized for both Top-line and Bottom-line contributions in the same year.
•	Defined and executed new vision and mission and led Sales Support department to complete over 40 initiatives (within a six-month period) as part of Team’s new journey towards field motivational excellence. Incorporated new processes to deliver high impact incentives, and to create Sales energy and momentum for sales turn-around.    
•	Achieved highest employee engagement scores with Sales Support Department significantly exceeding country results in over 95% of categories.  Previously had also led Finance department to highest employee engagement scores.
•	Global Project leader for a high potential, multi-functional, multi-national team to study and recommend actions to improve Global Sales Incentive management/spending process.
•	Oversaw execution of a variety of Company and Public/Media events ranging from Sales Conferences to Philanthropic events including Annual Awards to Women, and Pink Ribbon Campaign support.

Executive Director and Member of the Board

•	Responsible for Financial policy making/implementation and reporting for Avon Japan as a public company (including statutory/public, and Board Meetings). All year-end financial documents audited with no comments/exceptions.
•	Defined and executed new department Vision and Mission, and recruited, trained and developed a completely new Finance team (80% new hires within a six month period) to move from scorekeeping to business partnership. Finance team formed core of country high potential list.
•	Consistently over achieved profit performance commitment under adverse conditions of sales decline by aggressively managing strategic business needs with cost cutting; Delivered zero overhead growth during all years; Japan winner of regional awards for best cost management performance, and for boldest transformation strategy.
•	Provided leadership and support for critical decisions and strategy development as Japan Leadership Team Member.  Actively led change management process within company.
•	Consistently achieved best internal control results in Asia-Pacific/Avon over a period of eight audits.  Japan one of only two countries with highest audit rating. Outstanding performance generated support to remove Japan from list of High Coverage countries.
• Co-developed strategic/financial business case, and obtained approval for number of campaign reduction in 2006 making Avon Japan only country ever in Avon to undergo campaign reduction. 
• Independently analyzed and provided strategic direction for Plant study which challenged and reversed previous recommendation by outside consultants on plant closure.
• Provided leadership in several restructuring initiatives by providing an achievable plan to achieve 12% people related cost reduction.  Played lead role in this study representing Finance, Supply Chain and HR 
• Consistently achieved highest performance rating and nominations to several high potential programs
• Elected (and re-elected) to Board of Directors

Executive Director, CFO and Member of the Board of Directors

Delphi

• Prepared Asia-Pacific regional messages / presentations for Delphi Strategy Board, and for Delphi Board of Directors.
• Supported development and implementation of critical Asia-Pacific strategies.  Performed competitive intelligence and other special studies to identify risks / competitive threats and outlined regional / corporate response.
• Provided Miller Heiman strategic selling process training to Asia-Pacific personnel to improve value propositions and increase sales effectiveness.

Director Asia-Pacific Planning

• Management responsibilities for Finance, HR, General Affairs, and Six-Sigma.
• Active member of the Japan Strategy Board and Japan management team.  
• Six-Sigma Deployment Champion for Delphi Japan.

Delphi Japan – CFO & Administration Director

Country Responsibilities:
• Managed all finance functions including accounting, budgeting / forecasting and treasury.
• Lead development of cross-functional and cross-divisional Internal Control Review Board.
• Lead and supported strategic initiatives including venture development support, site enhancement, competitive analysis, transfer pricing, and cost reduction studies.
• Represented Japan in Asia-Pacific Financial Task Team.

Regional Responsibilities:
• Coached country CFO and staff to implement common financial reporting processes.
• Supervised and provided training for engineering / commercial / plant / site analysts.  Coordinated regional financial training programs for the sector in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Coordinated the regional budget, business plan, and capital management process.
• Supported development of common financial practices among ventures including:  Loan monitoring, F/X and cash management, compliance with accounting principles, report submission, etc. Provided regional oversight of venture risk exposure.

Asia-Pacific Senior Finance Mgr.

Executive Coach | MBA Professor | Ex-Global CFO

I help senior leaders master complexity, elevate strategic impact, and lead with authentic authority.

I bring over 25 years of C-level and boardroom experience as a former Global CFO for a $5B publicly traded company, combined with a deep commitment to human-centered leadership development.

Today, I coach global executives, CEOs, and leadership teams — specializing in executive transitions, strategic leadership, high-performance teams, and Asian leadership development.

I am also an MBA Professor of Leadership and Strategic Management, blending research-driven frameworks with boardroom-tested insights to develop transformational leaders.

Based in Kyoto, fluent in English, Urdu, and Japanese.

Connect with me: arif@thecfocoach.jp

Website: www.thecfocoach.jp (please sign up on my mailing list to receive future announcements and newsletters)

Arif Iqball

CEO Obsidian Black Building the most successful Leadership teams in tech | Board Advisor | TeamonyAI Co Founder | CoFounder Progress Coach

I spent 20 years building tech leadership teams that add, save, and redirect billions.

Now I'm putting all those lessons into helping tech leaders prepare for what's actually coming in 2026 and beyond.

Most tech leaders are optimising for a world that no longer exists. 

🚫 They're hiring for cultural fit when they should hire for adaptability. 
🚫 They're building 5-year roadmaps when the world changes every 90 days. 
🚫 They're making leadership decisions based on what worked in 2020, not now. 

Tech CEOs are getting fired in year one because they don't build their teams properly. The cost of the wrong hire isn't just expensive anymore. It's existential.

I started The Secrets of Tech Outliers because I was tired of watching major tech leaders make the same mistakes.

Every week, I sit down with founders and senior operators who've actually built billion-dollar companies. Yes, you'll hear their stories. But more importantly, we'll discuss:

✅ The patterns that define the world's top founders and operators
✅ The decisions that worked (and the ones that definitely didn't)
✅ The mistakes that changed the course of their businesses (and how to avoid them)

These conversations aren't just motivational. They are tactical lessons from people who've done it, not people who teach it.

I also write a weekly newsletter breaking down what I'm seeing in real time. Where leadership is breaking and how adaptability separates winning teams from failing ones. It’s the weekly roadmap tech leaders actually need for 2026.

And I'm building something else. A secret AI tool based on everything I've learned about what makes leadership teams work. It’s going to change how tech executives think about hiring and scaling. Stay tuned. 

If you're building something that matters and leadership is the constraint, you're in the right place.

Follow for the insights. Subscribe for the roadmap.
And DM me when you're ready to talk about your team.

Emma J E.

Leaders are taught how to perform...

But not how to build high-performing teams: 

Thanks to Sir Richard Harpin for breaking down these frameworks! 

After two decades of placing executives, I know how often leaders underestimate team harmony. 

They assume that hiring the best talent is enough to scale the business. 

But they don't realise how quickly things can fall apart when the team doesn't trust each other. 

You need to start thinking strategically about the culture you want to create. 

Here are 7 frameworks for building world-class teams: 

1. Start With Why (Simon Sinek)

Before you focus on what or how, get clear on why.
What you sell doesn't matter if the team doesn't believe in why you're doing it.

2. The 70-20-10 Rule

How people actually learn:

70% from challenging experiences
20% from coaching and mentoring
10% from formal training

Most teams over-invest in training and under-invest in real development.

3. The Trust Triangle (Frances Frei)

Trust isn't built with perks. It's earned three ways:

Authenticity – Are you real?
Logic – Do your decisions make sense?
Empathy – Do you care?

Without trust, you can't build speed or loyalty.

4. The 5 Stages of Team Development (Tuckman Model)

Forming – Team gets together
Storming – Conflicts surface
Norming – Ground rules form
Performing – Results roll in
Adjourning – Project ends or evolves

Storming is normal. But if it gets out of hand, then you can start making tough calls. 

5. The Johari Window

Self-awareness is a team sport.

Open – You know, they know
Hidden – You know, they don't
Blind Spot – They know, you don't
Unknown – No one knows (yet)

This surfaces feedback and avoids surprises.

6. The Energy/Impact Matrix

Map every team member's impact vs. energy.

Use it to make smart hiring and firing decisions.

- Spot burnout early.
- Retain high performers.
- High-performing teams don't tolerate drift.

7. The RAPID Decision-Making Model

High-performing teams make fast, clear decisions.

Recommend – Suggest the course of action
Agree – Those who must sign off
Perform – Executes the decision
Input – Provides relevant facts
Decide – Final decision-maker

This clears up delays and misplaced blame. 

It takes six to twelve months to see the damage from a wrong senior hire.

But the outcome can be catastrophic for morale and growth. 

Building a great team isn't about hiring rock stars.

It's about creating an environment where talent can thrive. 

Are you building a team right now? 
Leave a comment below with your process and/or thoughts. 

♻️ Repost to reach founders who need these team-building frameworks. 
And follow Emma J E. for more on building teams that scale.

Leading Tech Execs Into the Future. | Host of The Secrets of Tech Outliers Podcast | Stealth AI Start-Up Coming Soon

Founders can afford to make some mistakes...

But confusing OKRs, KPIs, and CSFs is not one of them.

Vague objectives like "improve performance" result in teams working harder...

But never actually reaching any goals. 

They're simply being pulled in different directions. 

As a CEO or founder, a disengaged team that doesn't trust your direction could be your downfall. 

Here's the full breakdown so you don't make that mistake: 

🎯 OKRs (Objectives & Key Results)

Goal-setting framework that connects ambitious objectives to measurable results.

Use this when you're building something new with no playbook, the team needs alignment on what winning looks like, or priorities shift every quarter.

Example:

Objective: Dominate the AI infrastructure market.
Key Results: Sign 3 enterprise clients worth €10M+ each, launch product in 2 new markets by Q3, reduce customer acquisition cost by 40%.

Why founders get this wrong:

They set vague objectives like "improve performance" instead of measurable outcomes.

📝 KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

Ongoing metrics that track business health and performance over time.

Use this when you're running a stable business that needs monitoring, you need early warning signals, or you're reporting to a board or investors.

Example:

Monthly recurring revenue, customer churn rate, sales cycle length, and net revenue retention.

Why founders get this wrong:

They track too many KPIs (anything beyond 5-7 creates noise) or track vanity metrics that don't connect to revenue or outcomes.

💥 CSFs (Critical Success Factors)

The 3-5 things that absolutely must go right for the business to survive or win.

Use this when you're in a turnaround situation, resources are limited, and you need focus, the market window is closing fast, or you're raising funding and need to prove a thesis.

Example for a startup raising Series A:

Product-market fit proven (20+ paying customers), retention above 90% after 6 months, scalable go-to-market motion locked in, leadership team that can execute without founder bottleneck.

Why founders get this wrong:

They list 15 things as "critical." But if everything is critical, nothing is.

When in doubt, remember: 

☑️ Use OKRs when you need the team aligned on a specific outcome in 90 days.
☑️ Use KPIs when you need to monitor ongoing performance and spot problems early.
☑️ Use CSFs when you're in a do-or-die moment and need absolute clarity on what matters most.

These are the backbone of any successful business.

Get them wrong, and you can drive your company into the ground.

The biggest mistake I see is using the wrong framework at the wrong stage.

Don't confuse your goals with the things you need to do to stay afloat. 

Otherwise, you'll always be stuck in survival mode.

Did you know the difference between these metrics? 
Comment below. 

♻️ Repost to share this breakdown with other leaders. 
And follow Emma J E. for more on leading successful businesses.

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CEO Obsidian Black Building the most successful Leadership teams in tech | Board Advisor | Co Founder | Investor

Obsidian Black: Passionate about giving back and working with like minded environments.
60% of tech CEOs fail - Why ? They focus on bringing in individuals, when it takes a TEAM to build a successful company. 

I have been very fortunate to be able to work with some incredible minds, people creating some of the most successful companies in the world, finding and introducing the right people to achieve the exceptional.

Not only do we introduce the right people but also carefully balancing and raising the collective intelligence of the leadership team with each member we add to create the exceptional

JOBSEEKERS - join my free newsletter for guidance on what is working today. Your skills are not outdated the process you are using is outdated so we share whats working now

DM me for 1-1 coaching sessions. 

Over 20years of building leadership teams with some of the most innovative CEOs in the technology world.  AI, Robotics, Genetics, travel, Web3, fintech, marketplace, gaming, AI, Biotech, Health tech and more. On thing they all had in common? A desire to change the world for the better

Obsidian Black: 60% of tech CEOs fail! 60%! They do not build the right team around them or they do not do it fast enough. We build the right team and fast enough

ProgressCoaching This is our Coaching Platform Arm. Works perfectly for VP and C level experts who are not being recognised and want more - better job, better pay, better recognition and a better life balance! DM me for 1-1 .

Teamony: For years Emma has publicly spoken about the power of a Dream Team and the value add of an unbiased working world. 
During that time we have been heavily researching what makes a dream team and how to predict the success of a team BEFORE they begin working together. Well we FOUND the formula!!

It is in BETA currently! Imagine a world where all that counts is your ability, where bias doesn’t exists and it makes the company more successful! We didnt just imagine it - We are making it!!

ChatGPT was the first. 

But it's no longer the best... nowhere near.

Claude has stolen the crown and taken the throne. 

Sure, ChatGPT was the one we all started experimenting with. 

But Claude has surpassed it for the work that drives businesses forward. 

It's so much more "human" than any other LLM. 

If you're writing board reports or investor updates, that's huge. 

Will Claude remain top dog? Who knows. AI moves at warp speed. 

But right now, if you're a leader in tech, you need to learn Claude.

Here are the resources to do so: 

Start Here: 

1. Official Claude Guide
https://lnkd.in/e_BcuArH

2. Claude Models Overview
https://lnkd.in/eU9JHWJd

Level Up: 

3. Claude Courses
https://lnkd.in/e3ApQUjk

4. Claude Tutorials
https://lnkd.in/eyhn3Gtj

5. Claude Prompt Library
https://lnkd.in/e46axawn

Advanced: 

6. Claude Extended Thinking
https://lnkd.in/eEB8-rdm

7. Claude Skills
https://lnkd.in/eM-8pUpY

Stay Updated: 

8. Official Claude Blog
https://claude.com/blog

9. Claude Use Cases
https://lnkd.in/exEjh8r9

You're not yet late to the party, but the window is closing quickly. 

Start with the guide, work through the courses, and use the prompt library when you're stuck.

The leaders who adapt now will have 10 extra hours a week to think strategically.

That's time you can spend moving your business ahead of competitors...

Instead of being stuck in the admin trenches. 

Have you started using Claude? 
Comment below. 

Knowing your tools is one part of the job. 
But knowing where you personally add the most value is the other. 

Find out here: https://lnkd.in/eYd6J_e9

♻️ Repost to help leaders upskill with Claude. 
And follow Emma J E. for resources leaders can leverage.

It seems like every new AI tool is a "must-have". 

But people are drowning in choice...

Thanks to Chris Donnelly for a clear breakdown of these AI tools!  

I've been placing executives and building leadership teams for 20 years. 

And it's never been harder to keep up with the latest technology. 

There are some incredible AI tools out there. 

But if you're using the wrong ones for your role, they're basically useless. 

That's why every executive I know should save this list. 

It's the AI starter kit you actually need (and the tools you can live without):

1. Writing 

❌ Old: Google Docs
✅ New: Claude

Claude is the best tool for writing that sounds human.
Use it for board reports, investor updates, and strategic memos.

2. Research

❌ Old: Google Search
✅ New: Perplexity Comet

Perplexity gives you direct answers with sources.
Use it for market research or getting up to speed on an industry fast.

3. Coding

❌ Old: Stack Overflow
✅ New: Cursor

If you're technical, Cursor changes how you work.
Get a specific coded solution for any problem you can apply in one click.  

4. SEO/AEO/GEO

❌ Old: SEMrush
✅ New: Searchable

A tool to increase your visibility for traditional and AI search. 
Gives you analytics, actions, and agentic workflows automatically. 

5. Pitch Decks

❌ Old: PowerPoint
✅ New: Gamma

Gamma creates polished decks from text prompts.
Still needs some human refinement, but it saves hours.

6. Outreach

❌ Old: Mailchimp
✅ New: Clay

Clay gives you data enrichment and personalised outreach at scale.
Not just customisable broadcast-style outreach. 

7. Speech To Text

❌ Old: Rev
✅ New: Willow AI

Best AI-powered voice dictation available.
Write with your voice at 5x speed instead of typing.

8. Email

❌ Old: Gmail
✅ New: Superhuman

Writing emails is one of the biggest time sucks for executives. 
Superhuman lets you send high-quality emails in a heartbeat.

9. Productivity

❌ Old: Trello
✅ New: Claude Code

Claude Code is probably the most efficient AI tool out there. 
It automates workflows and builds leverage for your team.

Too many leaders I've spoken to are overwhelmed by AI. 

And it's only because they're trying to learn all of these at once. 

CEOs generally don't need to learn Claude Code, and CFOs can pass on Cursor. 

Choosing the right tools can cut down on hiring and help you build leaner, faster teams. 

But you have to know which problem you're trying to solve. 

Don't implement AI tools because you want to keep up with the trends. 

Do it to save hours every week that could be spent growing the business. 

Have you tried any of these tools? 
Comment below.

♻️ Repost to reach people still struggling with AI tools. 
And follow Emma J E. for resources to create leverage for leaders.

Co Founder of Searchable.com | Follow for posts on Business, Marketing, Personal Brand & AI

A message to all ambitious leaders: 

What got you here won't get you there. 

Markets change at best every 90 days, and can even shift overnight. 

That comes with its own set of challenges and headaches.  

Leaders must be able to adapt as needed without panic. 

That includes learning new skills.  

The skills you learned in 2018 no longer matter: 

- Deep domain expertise in one sector (Markets move faster than you can specialise)
- Consensus building (Speed beats agreement now)
- Risk mitigation (The biggest risk is moving too slowly)
- Long-term planning (90-day cycles made 5-year plans obsolete)
- Relationship management without outcomes (Being liked doesn't add revenue)

If these are your strongest skills, you're getting replaced.

Here's what actually matters in 2026:

1. AI Literacy

You don't need to code. But you need to understand where AI creates leverage and where it doesn't. If you're treating AI like an upgraded search engine, you're already behind.

2. Decisiveness

Markets change every 90 days now. The best leaders make decisions with 70% of the information and adjust fast when they're wrong. Waiting for certainty is the same as deciding not to compete.

3. Pattern Recognition

The leaders worth hiring have seen this before. Semiconductors to mobile to adtech to AI...and the cycle repeats. If you've only operated in one market, you can't see what's coming next.

4. Team Building

Anyone can manage a team when things are stable. The skill that matters is building teams when nothing is certain. Hire fast and fire faster. Pivot roles when priorities shift.

5. Adaptability

Markets compress and AI changes requirements overnight. The question isn't "What do you know?" anymore. It's "How fast can you figure out what you don't know and hire around it?"

6. Strategic Networking

Your network is your unfair advantage. If you're still applying cold, you're fighting the wrong battle. 70% of executive roles are filled through networks, not applications.

You can resist all you want, but failure to adapt to these new skills will keep you locked out of the C-Suite for good.

And if you're waiting until you're already in the C-suite to develop adaptability and decisiveness, you've already missed the window.

Start now. Or accept that you’ll be on the outside looking in.  

What skills are you focused on right now? 
Comment below. 

♻️ Repost to share these skills with leaders in your network. 
And follow Emma J E. for insights on what it takes to enter the C-Suite.

The Skills That Actually Matter In 2026 

I've spent 20 years headhunting for top roles. 

It's never been harder to get a job...

Yes, the economy worldwide took a hit after the pandemic. 

But when it comes to the job market, AI has been devastating. 

Excellent C-suite candidates are sending their CVs to AI systems...

Only to get lost in a sea of 1,000 other applicants.

Or getting rejection emails clearly written by bots. 

(Sometimes laughably so 👇) 

You're left thinking you're not good enough when, really, the odds are stacked against you.  

Executives seeking new roles can't continue to do what worked five years ago.

So here's where the C-level roles actually are:

1. Your existing network

70% of executive roles are filled before they're posted.
Rely on people who've worked with you and know what you can do.

2. Executive search firms that specialise in your sector

We don't post roles publicly because we already have a handful of great options. 
If you're not on our radar, you're not in the conversation.

3. Portfolio companies of VCs you've worked with

Investors introduce executives across their portfolio constantly.
One placement can open doors to 10 more.

The executives I place don't apply.

They're already top of mind before the hiring process starts. 

After 20 years, I've learned to look for three things: 

1. The ability to adapt quickly. 
2. An active and reliable network. 
3. Clear outcomes and results. 

If you can't prove those, it's time to get to work.

♻️ Repost to reach executives still applying cold on LinkedIn.
And follow Emma J E. for insights on what actually gets you hired.

I've built leadership teams for 20 years.

Most billion-dollar founders have no idea what they're doing: 

And that's exactly the point.

We treat them like they're superhuman.

But once you're in the room, you realise they're just people.

They didn't have all the answers when they started.

But they refused to give up until they did. 

- Jeff Bezos started Amazon from a garage with no logistics experience.
- Lisa Su turned AMD from nearly bankrupt into a $340 billion company.
- Elon Musk knew nothing about rockets before SpaceX.
- Whitney Wolfe Herd had no tech background when she launched Bumble.
- Jensen Huang started NVIDIA to make graphics cards for gamers. 
- Melanie Perkins got rejected by 100+ investors before Canva hit $65 billion.

None of them had different DNA or special abilities. 

They simply used obstacles to learn and get better, instead of being crushed by them.  

And choose to see “failure” as a test they can learn from. 

So if you're thinking about taking the leap, here's what to focus on:  

1. Treat your career as a strategy

If you want C-level, negotiate coaching in your current role.
Start building relationships with board advisers now. 

2. Ask for feedback and actually use it

If multiple people say the same thing, that's how you're perceived. 
Take it on the chin and fix it. 

3. Sell your development back to the business

Show how that AI conference will add revenue or cut costs. 
Don't just ask for a budget; give them a reason to give it to you. 

4. Connect the dots on your CV

Where did you learn something that stopped them from hiring someone else?
Where did you automate something that saved time or money?

5. Stop waiting for permission

Ask for mentoring from board advisers who make decisions. 
Show up as if you belong there. (Because if not you, who else?)

The truth is, anyone can really jump in and do it if they want.

You just need to stop waiting and make your move. 

How do you deal with failure? 
Comment below. 


♻️ Repost to reach founders who think they need all the answers.
And follow Emma J E.. for insights into what makes a billion-dollar leader.

Most founders have no idea what they're doing...

This is the most depressing article I've read this year.

But is it accurate? 

Not really.

The job market isn't terrible. 

But the process you're using to find work might be. 

Let me be direct about what's actually happening:

You're applying using a system that worked five years ago.

Back then, companies would human-review 10 applicants per role.

Now they're getting 1,000+ applicants per job and using AI to filter.

And that process has much lower odds for you.

Not because you're not good enough.

Because the game changed and no one told you the new rules.

The traditional application process doesn't work anymore.

But that doesn't mean the market is broken.

It means you need a different formula.

Here's what actually works:

Stop applying cold and start building relationships with people who make decisions.

Get in front of executive search firms who specialise in your space.

Position yourself in networks where roles get filled before they're posted.

70% of executive placements happen before the job goes public.

The people who get hired are the ones someone else brought into the room.

I could get anyone a decent job in two weeks or under.

Not because I have magic powers.

But because I use a formula that changes the odds.

The executives who understand this aren't struggling.

They're just playing a different game.

And once you know the new rules, the market won't look like "hell."

It'll just look a little different.

If you want to know exactly where you add the most value and how to position it....

I've put together a free resource: 
https://lnkd.in/eYd6J_e9

♻️ Repost to share with leaders who need to hear this.
And follow Emma J E. for insights on landing leadership roles in 2026.

I recently learned about the Dunning-Kruger effect.

It put a name to what I've been seeing for 20 years...

A phenomenon that's incredibly common among the tech executives I place. 

You start something new and your confidence is sky-high.

Because you don't know that you don't know much yet. 

Then you actually start doing it and reality sets in. 

The problems are harder than you thought and your confidence tanks. 

This is the valley of despair.

The differentiating factor is how you handle this next step. 

Some decide it's too hard and go back to what's comfortable.

Others learn from the obstacle and climb out the other side.

Then, with time, their competence catches up.

This effect reminds me so much of "The Obstacle Is The Way" by Ryan Holiday.

(One of my favourite books for leaders!) 

If you can change how you view obstacles, you can grow much faster. 

Instead of viewing them as blocking the path, you can see them as part of it. 

You can look at the valley of despair as similarly inevitable, and prepare accordingly. 

The executives I place have all been through this valley.

They took roles where they didn't have the answers.

And instead of waiting to be taught, they figured it out.

Of course, I've seen the opposite (too many times) as well. 

Leaders are overconfident and talk a big game. 

Only to find themselves completely in over their heads, unable to move. 

Suddenly, the company is without a pivotal leader and everything stagnates. 

It's a mess for everyone involved. 

If you can assess past performance under pressure, you can get a sense of how a leader will react to obstacles. 

How they dealt with the valley of despair will tell you if they can: 

- Make a call with incomplete information and adjust
- Build a team when nothing is certain and there are 100s of variables 
- Pivot when the market shifts and their strategy is suddenly obsolete

Those are only lessons you can learn by going through the valley and refusing to quit.

If you want to hire better tech leaders, find out how they managed incompetence. 

And if you want to secure a place in the C-Suite...

Take the obstacles before you and use them to get better. 

Have you heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect before? 
Comment below. 

♻️ Repost to reach leaders still stuck in the valley.
And follow Emma J E. for more on what leadership looks like in 2026. 

P.S. I have just launched a free resource to help you land high-quality C-suite roles.

Grab it here: https://lnkd.in/eYd6J_e9

People give me a job spec, and I just put it aside.

"What's the problem this person's got to solve?"

That's what I ask.

Not "we need a CFO" but "what gap do you have?"

Because, at heart, every C-Suite role is just the solution to a problem that needs solving.

And people have forgotten that in the madness.

So, here's what these roles actually do and how to hire for them: 

(See the cheat sheet for more details ⬇️) 

👤 CEO (Chief Executive Officer)

What It Is:

The person responsible for the entire business outcome.

Key Responsibilities:

- Set the direction and make the final call on strategy.
- Build and lead the leadership team.
- Own relationships with the board and investors.

What They Track:

Company valuation, market position vs competitors, and leadership team gaps.

How To Hire A Great One:

Look for someone who's pivoted a business model mid-flight and survived.

Red Flags:

They wait for consensus before making decisions.
They've only operated in one market or cycle.

💰 CFO (Chief Financial Officer)

What It Is:

The person who ensures the company doesn't run out of money. 

Key Responsibilities:

- Manage cash flow and runway.
- Lead fundraising rounds and investor relations.
- Build financial models that inform strategy (not fantasy spreadsheets).

What They Track:

Cash runway, burn rate, unit economics, revenue growth, and financial risks that could kill the business.

How To Hire A Great One:

Look for someone who's managed a company through a near-death cash crisis.

Red Flags:

They focus on historical reporting, not forward-looking models.
They can't explain complex financials in simple terms.

⚙️ COO (Chief Operating Officer)

What It Is:

The person who builds the systems that allow the company to scale. 

Key Responsibilities:

- Own day-to-day operations and execution.
- Build scalable processes and systems.
- Manage cross-functional coordination.

What They Track:

Operational efficiency, team productivity, process scalability, cross-functional alignment, and customer delivery metrics.

How To Hire A Great One:

Look for someone who's scaled a company from 10 to 100+ people.

Red Flags:

They've only worked in large, stable organisations.
They've never built systems from scratch.

Most companies hire in this order: CEO → CFO → COO.

The right order depends on what's actually broken.

Hiring the wrong role will leave you with your original unsolved problem…

Not to mention a disengaged team, and a muddled strategic direction. 

It takes two years to put in the wrong team, work out what you've done wrong, pull them out and realise what you actually need.

If you want to avoid two years of absolute chaos...

Stop hiring job titles and start solving existing problems.

Which C-Suite roles are you unsure about? 
Comment below and I'll cover them in another post. 

♻️ Repost to share this cheat sheet with leaders in your network. 
And follow Emma J E. for more on hiring effective leadership teams.

You spend your mornings figuring out what to do.

Yet elite founders are using OpenClaw to figure that out for them.

There's a reason OpenAI partnered with OpenClaw.

Founders are using it to wake up to completed work...

It is an open-source AI agent that operates like a member of your team.

It monitors your business, builds tools, and moves tasks forward autonomously. 

It writes code and does research, all before you've had your morning coffee. 

Here's how to set it up:

1️⃣ Separate thinking from doing

Pick where OpenClaw will run (I recommend a dedicated local machine).

Create a separate OS user, isolated from your personal accounts.

2️⃣ Connect models: "brain" and "muscle"

Add API keys for a reasoning model (Claude Opus as the "brain") and a coding model (Claude Codex as the "muscle").

Set the default to Opus for planning and decisions.

Only use Codex when you actually need to write or modify code.

3️⃣ Context is the difference between a tool and a teammate

Prepare a context document with who you are, your role, revenue model, main channels, what you care about, goals, constraints, tone, and operational details.

Paste that into OpenClaw's long-term memory.

4️⃣ Define what it can and cannot do before it starts

Everything goes through a review layer first.

Speed without guardrails is a liability.

5️⃣ Set the "proactive employee" expectations

Give it the full prompt in the carousel, tailored to your needs 👇

6️⃣ Build a morning brief

The most effective use of an AI agent isn't answering questions.

It's showing up with work already done.

7️⃣ Build "Mission Control" for task tracking

Ask the agent to build a simple Kanban board with columns: Backlog → In Progress → Waiting for Review → Done.

Host it locally and add a recent activity sidebar.

The key with AI now is using it to delegate. 

And the more you can offload to tools like OpenCLaw, the better. 

The founders building the fastest aren't working themselves to the bone. 

They are delegating using the best available tools out there. 

And if OpenAI is signing off on a tool, you know it's good. 

Top founders are delegating using the best available tools out there.

But to get to that level, you need to know where your value lies. 
Find out in 15 minutes or less: https://lnkd.in/eYd6J_e9

What's your current favorite AI tool for saving time? 
Drop it in the comments and I'll my opinion on it.

♻️ Repost to reach founders still doing work AI could handle.
And follow Emma J E. for resources to create leverage for leaders.

How To Set Up OpenClaw

Lisa Su took over AMD when it was nearly bankrupt. 

22 years later, it's valued at $343 billion. 

Lisa was born in Taiwan and came to the U.S. as a child.

She taught herself programming at 10 years old.

And studied electrical engineering at MIT because she wanted the hardest challenge available.

She spent years proving herself at IBM and Texas Instruments.

Then in 2014, she became CEO of AMD.

The company was drowning in debt and losing market share to Intel and NVIDIA.

Everyone thought it was finished.

Today, AMD is worth $343 billion.

Here's what most people get wrong about that story:

They think it's about technical brilliance, but it's not. 

Lisa had deep chip design expertise.

But that's not what saved AMD.

What saved AMD was her ability to make a call that went against everything the company had been doing.

And execute it faster than anyone thought possible.

When she took over, the obvious move was to chase short-term revenue.

Lisa did the opposite.

- She invested in chips that would take years to deliver returns.
- She shifted focus to data centres and high-performance computing.
- She rebuilt the leadership team around adaptable, resilient people.
- She refused to take shortcuts and stayed close to the engineering team. 

That's true adaptability in action. 

Since taking over, AMD's stock has grown by over 1,300%.

Their processors now run major data centres, gaming systems, and supercomputing infrastructure.

And, in 2022, they overtook Intel's market value.

Now they're competing directly with NVIDIA in AI.

Lisa would be a dream placement for me. 

She made a contrarian bet when everyone said it wouldn't work, and proved she could lead through a turnaround when the company was failing. 

Lisa had the technical background.

But what turned AMD into a $343 billion company was her ability to recognise where the market was heading and position the company before anyone else moved.

Credentials get you in the room.

Execution speed and strategic vision keep you there.

What's your take on Lisa's story? 
Comment below. 

♻️ Repost to share Lisa's story with leaders in your network. 
And follow Emma J E. for more on what success looks like in 2026.

No one cares if you're a great person.

They care if you're an asset to the business first.

That's why you need to understand why someone would employ you.

If you ask most people why you should hire them, they'll give you a long-winded boring version of their day-to-day tasks.

But they won't be able to tell you what value they actually bring.

If you want to land a leadership role, you need to be able to pitch your value in 60 seconds or less.

So how do you work out what your value actually is?

First, get your CV and look at your last 4 roles.

Work out the main problem or problems you solved in each role.

Next, work out how you solved each problem. 

Why did you choose to do it that way?
What was the outcome from you solving that issue?

And, the bit most people miss: What was the business outcome?

Here's an example:

You were brought in to turn around a team that wasn't delivering.
You implemented proven processes and training.

The outcome was that the team started delivering.

But the business outcome was that it convinced existing clients who were looking to leave to instead sign for another year and introduce more clients, increasing revenue by X and delivery by Y.

Once you do this for your last few roles, you'll start to notice a pattern. 

You'll start to see where you personally add huge value.

This will enable you to create your 60-second value pitch.

Using the example above, someone could say they're a "motivational team leader who improves environments."

Yawn.

You and 100 other CVs I saw today.

Now read this: "I take over failing teams and within 12 months have them not only delivering on time, but in a way that's scalable and has doubled revenue in my last 4 roles."

If you were hiring someone to turn around delivery, who would you call?

Add this to your LinkedIn headline, your CV, and use it when someone asks what you do.

It's your personal elevator pitch.

Remember: every job starts as a problem needing to be solved.

Show you are the solution.

Most leaders can't answer this in 60 seconds. 
Find out if you can: https://lnkd.in/eYd6J_e9

What's your personal elevator pitch? 
Drop it below. 

♻️ Repost to teach others how to pitch their value.
And follow Emma J E. for more on positioning yourself for the C-suite.

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