The C-Suite Coach | I help senior leaders thrive in their roles by optimising their performance, energy and time to enjoy their careers once more (you deserve it). Book your discovery call today.

Most senior executives are technically brilliant but invisible.

I help C-suite executives build the executive presence and influence to get recognised as visionary leaders.

Why does this matter?

Despite your contributions, you're not getting the recognition you deserve. 
You're stuck managing tasks instead of leading strategically. 
Your boss wants you to be "more strategic," but you can't see the path.

Worst of all?

You're overlooked while others with less competence move ahead.
The problem isn't your intelligence or work ethic. 

It's your executive presence.

My Background: I've Walked This Path

I've spent 20+ years at the C-suite level at Citi and currently as GM at a Blackstone portfolio company. 
I know what it takes to command respect and lead with influence because I'm living it right now.
I coach from the arena, not the sidelines- which means I understand your current pressures and can help you carry the load. I'm also a Communications Professor at IESE Business School and have spoken at 50+ conferences globally.

The Transformation

I help senior executives who feel invisible become recognised leaders who:

→ Communicate with influence, not just authority 
→ Get recognised and advance their careers 
→ Command respect without demanding it 
→ Inspire teams instead of micromanaging 
→ Focus on strategy, not stuck in tasks

My Approach

Unlike coaches who only ask questions, I provide practical solutions based on C-suite experience.
I combine emotional intelligence with accountability to turn problems into action.
No corporate BS or cookie-cutter frameworks.

My methodology builds:

• Masterful Communication & Executive Presence 
• Authentic Leadership Identity 
• Resilient Inner Core 
• Strategic Influence

I integrate insights from marathon running, meditation, and Stoic philosophy for sustainable performance.

Who I Work With

C-suite executives across all industries who are ready to build executive presence that advances their careers.

What Clients Say

"Peter is a brilliant coach. He is a great listener, truly cares and freely shares his wisdom." 
Nora Tandberg, CFO, Papirfly

"Peter's unique perspective is very effective in a business setting and brings a fresh perspective to solving contemporary challenges." 
Guy Nicholas Mansfield, CFO, C-Quest Capital

Ready to Elevate Your Leadership Impact?

Book your strategy call today.

Peter McKenzie

Last Thursday I went for a carefree evening walk with my wife.
After a truly horrendous day.

Notification of a tax inspection, a leaking shower (with furious neighbours downstairs) and a curt response from the boss on a tricky subject.

Financial loss, a long drawn out dispute and a mail that makes you question your self-worth.

A triple whammy of despair.

But I realised during the walk that none were spinning round in my head!

Something that 10 years ago would have had me ruminating for a week.

I had taken it in my stride.

I wasn’t going to let it ruin my night.

After years of dealing with massive crisis in my head that never happened, I have learned how to be resilient.

The number one trait that leaders need to get through hard times: 

Because the shorter the length of time it takes you to return to your baseline state after a setback, the better your final response will be.

And the quicker you can shrug things off and get back to work, the better a leader you are.

People may spend billions trying to stay young.
But resilience and wisdom only come with age.

And the realisation that imagined disaster outcomes are worse than the actual problems you face.

You'll never recover the wasted time catastrophising.

But you can learn that lesson before you get too old.

-------------------------------
PS How long does it take you to bounce back from a setback? 
Do you put things in perspective or blow them out of proportion?
--------------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie 🕺

Try my FREE Executive Presence quiz here:
https://lnkd.in/dQEr7KYG

The C-Suite Coach | Elevating Executive Presence for Greater Leadership Impact | C-suite at Citi, currently GM at Anticipa - a Blackstone portfolio company | I coach from the arena, not the sidelines.

When IKIGAI goes badly wrong.
You finally discovered your deep purpose in life... 

But keep doing something else anyway.

Funny!

Or not?

So, how do you score?

I've made money - but not always at the things I'm best at.
 
And I spent plenty of time outside of the important blobs.

So what do I do now?  

And you?

Happy Friday, all!

(The answer can wait until Monday).

NB Kudos to the great Colby Kultgen for this sketch, which made me laugh out loud.  
.---------------------------------- 
I’m Peter McKenzie 🕺
🐟 Dead fish go with the flow.
🎸Rockstars challenge the status quo.

Sorry to tell you this: 
Your tough boss isn’t the root cause of your problems. 

Your response to them is. 

People complain when they work for a hard boss. 
And that applies to senior execs as well. 

Because the majority of CEOs aren’t easy people. 
(It’s often why they got the job!). 

The first time I had a tough CEO, I completely flunked the exam. 

I complained to anyone that would listen. 
Thought things were unfair. 

And the worst of all:

Passed the pressure onto my team. 

It changed the day my number 2 broke into tears in a team meeting.
I realised it wasn’t my boss, job or life that was unfair. 

It was me. 

Instead of absorbing the pressure, I was passing it down. 
A bad moment for her became a valuable one for me. 

I realised it was all a test. 

It was my job to shield my team – and prove my worth. 
Not whinge, whine and push my people to their limits. 

Years later, as a coach, I hear clients complain of the same. 

And things only shift when the story shifts. 
When they stop feeling sorry for themselves. 

And start doing their job. 

It’s exactly what happened to me. 

A tough CEO forces you to choose.
Either learn how to handle pressure. 

Or to turn into the very person you’re complaining about.

<<<>>>

PS Have you ever had a tough boss?
How did you react?

The long silence at the meeting table was unbearable.
I felt the need to step in. 

To say anything to break it.

I squirmed in my chair.
It felt like the deal was slipping from our grasp.
But my boss’s stern glance told me to keep my mouth shut.

He was one of the best bosses I had at Citi. 
He was never shy to speak up.
As regional Ops head, he had to drive results.
Which meant driving his team.

So why didn't he speak?

Because he was teaching us a lesson.
To me and those on the other side of the negotiating table.

It was so tense because there was a lot of money at stake. 
This particular relationship wasn't easy.

The silence became too much to bear.
So much that they caved in - and filled it. 
And their words revealed the details of what they were willing to offer.

That was exactly what we needed.

Priceless.

We had spoken the least - but gained the most.

I realised that my strategy of always talking and expressing my thoughts was just performance for my ego.

Instead of giving me power - my talking drained it.

Impact is knowing when to speak up,

And when to say nothing.

----------------------
PS When was one time you wish you had kept silent in a meeting?
Drop the details in the comments.
----------------------

I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Try my FREE Executive Presence quiz here:
https://lnkd.in/dQEr7KYG

As uncomfortable as it is being a spectator, it feels safer than risking looking stupid.

Or worse - proving that you’re not good enough.

But there are only two ways you’re perceived at work:

You’re either visible or invisible.
Important or irrelevant.
Powerful or powerless.

Your career’s going nowhere if you’re on the wrong side of that list.
Even if you work hard and do a great job.

Unfair?
 
It doesn’t matter.

That was what I said to an ex-colleague last Tuesday.
In a busy Barcelona cafe she stared back at me, letting that sink in.

She’s been HR head for 5 years at the Spanish branch of a multinational.

She's in the management team.
But never in the centre of the conversations that count.

She feels second class and overlooked.

Her boss constantly urges her to say what she thinks, even if it's not about HR.

But she admits it feels safer to watch and listen. 

Like an extra in a film, or a background figure in a videogame.

Unnoticed.

To earn points and win, you need to be the player.

Even losing is better than being irrelevant.

Her next game is her next meeting.
Her challenge is to grab the controls and play.

If you’re in the same game, it's your challenge too.

----------------------------------------
I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

You have to burn down your past to create the future.

That’s what the Valencians do every year when they celebrate the Fallas.
 
They spend months creating elaborate effigies, like this magnificent Charlie Chaplin, all around the city.
 
Then on the 18th March - on the Nit de foc (night of fire) - they burn them to ashes.
 
Madness? 
Pyromania?
Or celebration?
 
I came to live in Valencia 38 years ago. 
I had burned my bridges to my corporate career with PWC in London to set up as a poor English teacher here. 

It was the best move of my life.
 
Eventually though I went back into corporate ( a man has to eat!) and in the 30 years since haven’t done enough burning.
 
It’s easy to think you’re building something that lasts.
 
But nothing can.
Or should.
 
The Valencians have got it right. 

You must burn the baggage from your past to create space.
 
38 years ago I was excited but unsure what I was doing.
 
This time , with the match in my hand, I know its the right move.
 
Which of your effigies do you need to torch?

The price of never risking offending anyone is never risking saying anything important.
Hedging your opinions with caveats is masking your fear.

“Maybe, perhaps, I think…”

Tics I’ve used because I was allergic to conflict.

I figured the best way to keep people onside is never to state a strong opinion.

And I was right.

But my impact was negligible.
One of my bosses, who used to work for Swiss Air, gave me some advice.

“Be like a pilot taxiing down the runway to take off. 
You can’t “sort of fly”. You either go full thrust or abort.  
That’s how it should be with your statements.”

In other words:

If you’re going to say something, go all in.

No caveats, no tics, no hedging.

It may not always be “nice” to have an opinion.
But who wants (or needs) nice...

State your opinion without fear.

Go full throttle. 

Just say it.
-----------------
When was the last time you spoke your mind? 
And when did you last decide to play it safe?
-----------------

I’m Peter McKenzie - The C-Suite Coach

Dead fish go with the flow.
Rockstars challenge the status quo.

Fortune 500 Energy Executive, Business & Strategy Leader, Entrepreneur, Peak Performance & Career Growth Coach

I’ve spent over two decades operating inside high-pressure environments, Fortune 500 leadership roles, large-scale turnarounds, global operations, and decisions where the consequences were real.

Across Asia, the Middle East, and Western markets, I’ve seen what sustained responsibility does to leaders over time.

Here’s what experience taught me:

Success on paper often comes with an invisible cost.

The higher the responsibility, the heavier the cognitive load.

Measuring decisions. Carrying outcomes. Holding work, family, and expectations often without a place to put the weight down.

My work today sits at the intersection of leadership, judgment, and sustained performance.

I’m interested in:
	•	how leaders think under pressure
	•	why intensity stops scaling at senior levels
	•	how calm, clarity, and restraint become competitive advantages
	•	the transition from operator → leader → steward
	•	building results without eroding health, family, or self-respect

I write and share reflections primarily for men in senior roles: executives, founders, and operators who are successful externally but navigating complexity internally.

No hype.
No hustle culture.
No motivation for motivation’s sake.

Just hard-earned lessons on leadership, decision-making, and carrying responsibility well.

Souhaibe Barkat

A boss will ask you to manage your stress.

A leader will fix what’s causing it.

There’s a difference between telling people to “cope” and creating an environment where they don’t have to.

A boss says: Take a break. Go for a walk.

A leader asks: Why are you burning out in the first place?

A boss checks productivity.
A leader checks people.

A boss measures deadlines.
A leader removes bottlenecks.

Stress isn’t always about workload.
It’s about unclear priorities. 

Unspoken expectations. 
Silent pressures that stack up until they explode.

Real leadership isn’t about pushing people harder.

It’s about protecting them from the things that drain their energy before they even start.

Because when your team feels safe, supported, and seen they’ll perform better without you having to “motivate” them.

Stop telling people to manage their stress. Start managing the causes.


♻️PS: If you think leadership is about titles, you’ll always be a boss. If you think it’s about people, you’ll always be a leader.

Executive Leader | Large-Scale Turnarounds | Leadership, Judgment & Sustained Performance

People mistake kindness for weakness.

But, it’s actually a sign of strength.

Kindness as a leader isn’t about being “soft.”

It’s about:

➠ Listening when your team speaks
➠ Understanding struggles before judging
➠ Balancing results with humanity

✅ A kind leader earns respect.
❌ A harsh leader only earns fear.

Compassion doesn’t mean avoiding tough decisions.

It means making them without crushing the people involved.

When your team feels safe, they perform better.

When they feel supported, they give more.

Strong leaders know:

You can be firm without being cruel.

You can be ambitious without being arrogant.

You can be kind without being taken for granted.


♻️PS: Leading with kindness costs nothing. But it will make you the leader everyone remembers.

Want to keep your best people.

Start doing what most companies ignore.

Here are 9 proven ways to retain top talent that actually work 👇

1. Overpay for top talent
→ You can’t afford to underpay high performers.
→ Replacing them will cost far more in the long run.

2. Default to recognition
→ Say thank you often.
→ Share wins publicly.
→ Recognition is retention fuel.

3. Run a “Stay Interview” every 6 months
→ Ask: What makes you stay? What might make you leave?
→ Support their long-term goals early.

4. Enforce a “No Jerks Policy”
→ Your best talent will never rise above the worst behavior you tolerate.

5. Be soft on the person, hard on the problem
→ Mistakes happen.
→ Handle them with grace and clarity.

6. Give autonomy with ownership
→ Let them own products, clients, or key decisions.
→ Autonomy + Trust = Retention.

7. Add “No-Meeting Days”
→ Give people the space to think and do deep work.

8. Make feedback a cultural norm
→ Regular, honest feedback strengthens relationships and raises performance.
→ As Ken Blanchard said: “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.”

9. Don’t micromanage
→ Great leaders remove roadblocks.
→ Mediocre ones add red tape.

Great people stay where they feel valued, trusted, and free.



📌PS: Want a 1-page version of this for your team?
Comment “RETENTION” and I’ll send it to you.

Most jobs are trainable. Skills can be taught.

Attitude can’t.

Yet so many companies:

❌ Reject candidates because they don’t tick every box

❌ Overlook people with high potential but less experience

❌ Choose “safe” hires over hungry learners

What great leaders do instead:

✅ Hire for mindset and willingness to learn

✅ Train for skills that can be developed

✅ Give people an opportunity to prove themselves

Because sometimes, the best performer you’ll ever hire…

…is the one you almost didn’t.

♻PS: Don’t just hire qualifications. Hire potential and build the talent you want.

You deserve a manager who treats you like you matter every day.

Not just when they need something from you.

We’ve all worked with that kind of manager:

➠ Warm and friendly… only when a deadline is coming up.

➠ Full of praise… only when they want you to take extra work.

➠ Suddenly “checking in”… only when their own boss is watching.

That’s not leadership.
That’s transaction.

A real leader doesn’t treat you like a resource.

They treat you like a person.

✅ They ask how you’re doing even when there’s nothing urgent.
✅ They give feedback to help you grow not just to fix mistakes.
✅ They celebrate you not only your output.

If your manager only values you when they need something.

they don’t value you.


♻️PS: Respect is not a seasonal benefit.
It’s a daily practice.

72% of meetings are a waste of time. 
Billions of hours gone.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Here’s how top performers run efficient meetings:

Elon Musk → Prepare hard, ask better questions
Come in ready.
Hold everyone to high standards.

Steve Jobs → Keep the room small
Invite only who matters.
Smaller group = faster results.

Larry Page → Decide, don’t delay
Every meeting needs a decision-maker.
Speed matters. Cut the bottlenecks.

Satya Nadella → Sync leadership weekly
Use dashboards to align.
Clarity beats chaos. Always.

Ben Horowitz → Make 1:1s count
Let them set the agenda.
You listen 90% of the time.

Marissa Mayer → Test every idea
Ask smart questions.
Weak logic doesn’t pass the filter.

Alfred Sloan → Follow up fast
Send a clear memo post-meeting.
Tasks, deadlines, next steps lock it in.

Sheryl Sandberg → Stick to agenda
Start with a plan.
End when it’s done.

Don’t let meetings drain momentum.
Use them to drive results.

Run them sharp.
Run them with purpose.

♻ Repost to help more leaders embody presence
➕ Follow Souhaibe Barkat for proven strategies to lead, grow & win.

No title is a license to treat people poorly.

A big office.
A fancy title.
A corner desk with glass walls.

None of that makes you more important than the people you lead.

Leadership isn’t about the title on your LinkedIn profile.

It’s about how you treat people when no one’s watching.

✅ Respect your team, no matter their role.
❌ Belittle them because you “outrank” them.

True leaders know:
➠ Power is a privilege, not a weapon
➠ Influence is earned, not demanded
➠ Titles fade, but your reputation doesn’t

The best leaders lift others up.
The worst leaders push others down.

At the end of the day, your title might get erased from the org chart.

But how you made people feel?

That stays forever.


♻️PS:A title can open doors.
But respect is what keeps them open.

True Leadership Isn't Safe.

It's not about playing it safe.

It's about doing what's right, even when it's hard.

1) The Real Test of Leadership

→ Speaking up, even if it's unpopular.

→ Putting people before personal comfort.

→ Challenging the boss when something feels wrong.

2) What Makes a True Leader

→ They defend their team under pressure.

→ They take risks to protect others.

→ They stand up even if they stand alone.

3) Why It Matters

→ Trust is built in tough moments.

→ Teams follow courage, not titles.

→ Real leaders rise when it's risky.

PS:

Anyone can follow orders.

But only the brave lead with integrity, no matter the cost.

Be the senior you needed when you were a junior.

When you were starting out, remember:

→ How lost you felt in your first week

→ How you wished someone explained things patiently

→ How you needed someone to tell you, "You're doing great, keep going"

✅ Guide instead of gatekeeping

✅ Share knowledge without ego

✅ Create a safe space to ask “silly” questions

✅ Celebrate small wins, not just big results

❌ Making juniors “figure it out the hard way”

❌ Hoarding information to stay relevant

❌ Criticizing without teaching

Leadership isn’t about your title.

It’s about the impact you have on the people coming after you.


♻️PS: One day, they’ll remember you as the reason they didn’t give up.

People don’t quit jobs.

They quit feeling unseen.

A person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected.

It’s not magic.
It’s human nature.

➠ Loyalty builds trust.
➠ Appreciation builds loyalty.
➠ Trust builds performance.

You can’t demand excellence out of thin air.

But you can inspire it by showing someone their work matters.

A thank you.
A small note of recognition.
A shoutout in front of the team.

These cost you nothing.
But they can change everything.

✅ Teams grow when they feel valued.
❌ They break when they feel invisible.


♻️PS: People will forget perks and policies. But they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

taplio

The Battle

Peter McKenzie

Souhaibe Barkat

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScorePeter McKenzie's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreSouhaibe Barkat's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Peter McKenzie

Souhaibe Barkat

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Peter McKenzie's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreSouhaibe Barkat's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScorePeter McKenzie's LinkedIn Performance