Here’s the truth: Deals win or die by what happens after close. M&A isn’t just about numbers. It’s about envisioning the end state. I’ve seen too many deals get done for the wrong reasons—chasing revenue, ego, or momentum—without ever asking: What do we want this to look like after the dust settles? That’s why Buyer-Led M&A flips the script. We lead with clarity, not chaos. 🔹 Start by mapping the end state. Not just the financials—think operating model, customer experience, and decision-making structure. What does “success” actually look like? 🔹 Then dig into culture. Forget the surface-level values page. You need to understand how decisions get made, how people work, and how priorities shift under pressure. That’s the real culture. 🔹 Now you can start building a joint go-to-market plan. This is your integration thesis. What does the customer experience look like as a combined company? 🔹 Integration planning should run parallel to diligence. Same team. Shared information. Continuous learning. That’s how you get to Day 1 readiness—and avoid repeating diligence after you’ve already bought the company. 🔹 Finally: reverse diligence. Let the target get to know you. This is a two-way street. The more transparency, the more alignment, the more likely you’ll retain the people who actually make the deal work. M&A isn’t a race to term sheets. It’s a race to value creation—and that starts by leading the process, not just following it. This is how I define the Buyer-Led M&A™ mindset. What am I missing? Let me know in the comments. #MergersAndAcquisitions #BuyerLedMA #DealRoom
Visionary Leadership Practices
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How can leaders transform their teams to be AI-first? It starts with mindset. An AI-first mindset means: Seeing AI as an opportunity, not a threat. Viewing AI as a tool to augment teams, not just automate tasks. Using AI to reimagine work, not just optimize work. As leaders, it’s on us to build this mindset within our teams. Here are 5 ways we do this at HubSpot: Use AI daily: Lead by example—trust grows when teams see leaders embrace AI themselves. I use it everyday and share very specific use cases with our company on how I use it. Now every leader is doing the same with their teams. The result is that we will have almost everyone in the company use AI daily by the end of year. Apply constraints: Give clear, focused challenges. We kept headcount flat in Support while growing the customer base by 20%+. Result - the team innovated with AI and over achieved the target. Smart constraints drive innovation. Establish tiger teams: Empower small, agile groups to experiment, innovate, and teach the organization. We have AI Tiger teams in every function - they share progress in Slack channels and there is so much energy with small groups experimenting and learning. Be a learn-it-all: Foster a culture of continuous learning. Share openly about successes and failures alike. We have dedicated 2 full days to learning and scaling with AI this quarter as a company - we have lined up great speakers, ways to experiment and gamified learning. Measure progress and share it: Measure which teams are completing learning modules, using AI everyday and share that openly. A little healthy competition goes a long way in driving AI-fluency. AI isn’t just a technology shift. It’s fundamentally reshaping how work gets done—and that requires shifting our mindset first. Leaders who embrace AI now will unlock creativity, performance, and impact. Are you building an AI-first mindset with your team? #Leadership #AI #Innovation #Mindset #FutureOfWork
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Your Product Managers are talking to customers. So why isn’t your product getting better? A few years ago, I was on a team where our boss had a rule: 🗣️ “Everyone must talk to at least one customer each week.” So we did. Calls were scheduled. Conversations happened. Boxes were checked. But nothing changed. No real insights. No real impact. Because talking to customers isn’t the goal. Learning the right things is. When discovery lacks purpose, it leads to wasted effort, misaligned strategy, and poor business decisions: ❌ Features get built that no one actually needs. ❌ Roadmaps get shaped by the loudest voices, not the right customers. ❌ Teams collect insights… but fail to act on them. How Do You Fix It? ✅ Talk to the Right People Not every customer insight is useful. Prioritize: -> Decision-makers AND end-users – You need both perspectives. -> Customers who represent your core market – Not just the loudest complainers. -> Direct conversations – Avoid proxy insights that create blind spots. 👉 Actionable Step: Before each interview, ask: “Is this customer representative of the next 100 we want to win?” If not, rethink who you’re talking to. ✅ Ask the Right Questions A great question challenges assumptions. A bad one reinforces them. -> Stop asking: “Would you use this?” -> Start asking: “How do you solve this today?” -> Show AI prototypes and iterate in real-time – Faster than long discovery cycles. -> If shipping something is faster than researching it—just build it. 👉 Actionable Step: Replace one of your upcoming interview questions with: “What workarounds have you created to solve this problem?” This reveals real pain points. ✅ Don’t Let Insights Die in a Doc Discovery isn’t about collecting insights. It’s about acting on them. -> Validate across multiple customers before making decisions. -> Share findings with your team—don’t keep them locked in Notion. -> Close the loop—show customers how their feedback shaped the product. 👉 Actionable Step: Every two weeks, review customer insights with your team to decipher key patterns and identify what changes should be applied. If there’s no clear action, you’re just collecting data—not driving change. Final Thought Great discovery doesn’t just inform product decisions—it shapes business strategy. Done right, it helps teams build what matters, align with real customer needs, and drive meaningful outcomes. 👉 Be honest—are your customer conversations actually making a difference? If not, what’s missing? -- 👋 I'm Ron Yang, a product leader and advisor. Follow me for insights on product leadership + strategy.
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Navigating Leadership in Turbulent Times- A few days ago, I had an interesting conversation with a friend about how Non Profits are facing this period of unknowns and instability. For organizational leaders, the role we play in guiding our teams and ensuring the stability and resilience of our organizations has never been more critical. Here are a few things I learned about leading through uncertainty- 1. Focus with Intent We are constantly being hit with a barrage of incoherent tweets, rash decisions, and contradictory messaging that can feel overwhelming. Reacting to everything will leave us scattered, unfocused, and ineffective. Leaders must prioritize their organizational goals and focus on what they are best equipped to address. 🔑 Choose your battles wisely and resist the urge to 'play whack-a-mole' with every issue. Not every fight is yours to take on, and sometimes, the wisest move is not to fight at all. Focused leadership drives meaningful impact. 2. Embrace Collaboration - In this season of uncertainty, collaboration is not optional—it’s essential. Community and partnerships have always propelled movements forward. 🤝 Build a collaborative work culture, encouraging your team to cultivate strong relationships both internally and externally. Collaboration builds trust, and allows people to build upon their strengths and leads to better decisions and outcomes. 3. Flexibility & Adaptability -"Be stubborn about your goals but flexible about how you achieve them." Strategy is not a fixed plan but an evolving path to reach a predetermined destination. Recognize when adjustments are needed and model adaptability for your team. 📣 Communicate openly with staff about changes and align around shared objectives, even if absolute agreement isn’t always possible. Pathways can emerge when teams are nimble and solutions-oriented. 4. Support Your Staff- Amid external crises, organizational trust often becomes strained. Now is the time to double down on creating a supportive environment for your team. Focus on the short-term goals and the long-term mission when conflict arises. Look for areas of agreement to rally around. 💡 Consider what your organization can offer during this period, whether that’s flexible policies, open communication channels, or empathetic leadership. Teams perform best when they feel valued and supported. 5. Safeguard Your Organization - If your mission runs counter to the incoming administration’s policies, preparation is key. 📋 Run a risk assessment and review your policies/processes to ensure compliance and readiness. Develop clear protocols and maintain a strong relationship with your legal counsel. A proactive approach will protect your organization from unnecessary risks. I can say from experience that leadership in turbulent times isn’t easy, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to model resilience, inspire focus, and foster collaboration.
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Change Paralysis: Breaking Through "We've Always Done It This Way". How Tech Leaders Mold Modern Mindsets Ever rolled out a shiny new tool, only to find it gathering dust while everyone clings to their old ways? "We've always done it this way" is more than resistance—it's a mindset that tech leaders need to crack wide open. As a veteran CTO with years of experience driving digital transformation, I've developed strategies to overcome this challenge. Here's how to break through and drive true change: 1. Make Staying the Same Uncomfortable Change doesn't happen until the status quo hurts more than change. ↳ Quantify the Cost: Show what staying in comfort is costing—time, money, opportunities. ↳ Call It Out: Address the resistance openly; sometimes naming it is the first step to breaking it. ↳ Create a Crisis: If there isn't a burning platform, create one. Change is survival. 2. Banish the Buzzwords Change fails when wrapped in corporate jargon no one cares about. ↳ Speak Their Language: Drop buzzwords; connect with everyday reality. ↳ Use Stories, Not Slides: Show how change makes life easier, more productive, and rewarding. ↳ Be Brutally Honest: Change is hard. Acknowledge it, show why it's worth it. Honesty earns trust. 3. Leverage Change Champions Forget the usual suspects at the top—change comes from within. ↳ Identify Passion, Not Titles: Find excited people and give them influence. ↳ Make Them Visible: Let champions lead demos, share wins. Peers listen to peers. ↳ Reward Adoption: Recognize those who embrace change; create a ripple effect. 4. Take off the Training Wheels Old habits die hard if there's a safety net. ↳ Cut off the Old Way: Set a hard cutoff date for old tools and stick to it. ↳ Learn by Doing: Create real scenarios where the new way is the only way. ↳ Fail Fast, Learn Faster: Let people fail safely and learn; normalize early mistakes. 5. Make Change a Habit Change isn't an event—it's ongoing. ↳ Micro-Wins: Break change into small wins; celebrate each step forward. ↳ Normalize Iteration: Tweak, adjust, improve—make change a constant. ↳ Challenge the Default: Regularly ask, "What needs to evolve?" Keep change top-of-mind. Change paralysis is tough but beatable. Make the cost of inaction clear, get real, leverage champions, cut the safety nets, and make change a habit. For example, when I implemented a new project management system at a large global organization, we faced significant resistance. By quantifying the hours wasted on inefficient processes and showcasing early adopters' success stories, we achieved 95% adoption within three months. How do you overcome change paralysis? Share your thoughts below! 👇 Need help moving from resistance to readiness? DM me to talk about tailoring these strategies to your organization.
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𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗘𝗢: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 🎯 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜. As a first-time startup CEO, you’re not just building a product—you’re scaling a business. That requires transitioning from being a doer to becoming the visionary leader your company needs. 🔥𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: • 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: Focus on the big picture and long-term growth. • 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Empower your team to lead. •𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 : Drive the change before it happens. 💡𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: A CEO leading a Series A-funded startup struggled to let go of daily operations, feeling torn between growth demands and team management. 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗲: ✅ Helped them embrace strategic leadership and gain clarity on where they added the most value. ✅ Developed senior leaders to own operational responsibilities confidently. ✅ Scaled operations by 3X within six months, giving the CEO the freedom to focus on innovation and investors. 💼𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? The CEO went from feeling overwhelmed to becoming a bold, confident leader with a team ready to execute their vision. 📌 𝗖��𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳: What’s ONE leadership habit you need to let go of to focus on what matters most? 👉 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆. #LeadershipTransformation #Startups #BusinessScaling #TechLeadership #FounderToCEO #LeadershipCoaching #FirsttimeCEO
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Having a vision is an important part of being a leader - here is what it means to me: Most successful companies have a strong vision set by the company leader, and people join these companies because they want to be part of the vision. Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Steve Jobs all led their companies by defining a compelling vision. However, there is much more to vision setting than having big ideas, and your vision as a leader needs to be sized to your role. If you are CEO of a rocket company, you can have a vision to land on Mars. If you manage a team in a large organization (like me), your vision should fit within the bigger picture. In my opinion, 3 things are needed to set and deliver a vision: 1) CREATING SPACE: Some managers are controlled by their backlog: they have a large volume of incoming requests, and spend all their time reacting to the most urgent requests. A manager in this situation is not a visionary, though they may be helping others deliver their visions. A vision needs space for execution. Various strategies can be used to create space, such as a sub-team, or restricting bandwidth for incoming requests. 2) THE VISION: The vision should normally be incremental, building upon what is there already. A vision that requires throwing out everything should only be attempted in exceptional circumstances. Visualize where you would like to be in 1, 2, and 3 years. Speak to customers and partners, and ask them where they would like you to go. Simplify and distill your vision into the key components, and write it down clearly. Review the vision with your team, leadership, and stakeholders to get buy-in. 3) EXECUTION: Once you have set the vision it is time to execute, which is the hardest part. This may require growing your team, and influencing others to provide support. Plan to deliver incrementally, so the benefits can be realized quickly. I have seen teams disappear for years to build a big vision, and the results have always been underwhelming. Review and update your vision regularly based on feedback. It is better to change your vision to meet a developing need, than stubbornly deliver a vision that is no longer relevant! There are few things more satisfying for a manager than deliver a vision from start to completion, particularly when the result is a large positive outcome for customers and the business. The ability to set and deliver a vision is a core competence that I look for when hiring and promoting as it requires leveraging all of the key management skills. Let me know your thoughts on delivering a vision for your team? [Note that the above is entirely my own opinion, and in no way represents the views of Amazon] #management #leadership #vision
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The silent revolution in leadership (and why it’s unstoppable): When we think of leaders, extroverts come to mind. However, quiet leaders excel in ways that directly foster creativity and innovation. Their approach, centered on reflection, listening, and deep thinking, creates the ideal environment for breakthroughs. I've found these leaders demonstrate that you don’t need to dominate the conversation to steer the ship effectively. Here how's to embrace the quiet leadership style. And drive real innovation: 1️⃣ 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: ➟ Gather insights others may overlook. ➟ Make informed, inclusive decisions. 2️⃣ 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: ➟ Create space for reflection and deep thinking. ➟ Encourage teams to explore without pressure. 3️⃣ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀: ➟ Show genuine interest in team well-being. ➟ Build trust, leading to higher engagement. 4️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: ➟ Demonstrate humility and perseverance. ➟ Set a tone of respect and collaboration. 5️⃣ 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲: ➟ Stay calm during transitions. ➟ Reassure teams, fostering adaptability. Quiet leaders create cultures leading to meaningful breakthroughs. They prove that true innovation often comes from those who think deeply,... not those who speak the loudest. __________ 💡 React if this resonated. 💬 Comment to share your view. ♻️ Repost to benefit your network. ➕ Follow me for more content like this.
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I have been coaching a good amount of revenue leaders as of late. Heads of sales, vp's of sales, chief revenue officers and founders who are wearing the sales hat because they are pre-seed or seed. I ask them all this question early on in our journey together. "Can you tell me the details behind your last 5 deals closed?" They typically know the answers. But, it is all in their head or their reps head. I then ask them this question. "Does everyone in the organization know the details behind the last 5 deals closed? I'm talking, marketing / product / legal / finance / IT / HR. Everyone!” They typically say, no. People know we won deals but not the details. This is wear I push them to implement my "win story" framework as it pertains to onboarding. OMG, a sales leader working with HR & People Ops..... Yep! Step 1: Actually get to know your people team and not just when issues come up. Step 2: Walk through some recent win stories with them. Step 3: Tie ROI to why you want to have an onboarding session with everyone hired that talks about "win stories." If you need help here. Use this. "Sarah! All employees are "customer facing" these days, especially in the world of social media. It is important for them to know why we exist other than our mission, vision and values. They need to know WHY the last 400K deal signed with us, like the deep reasons. Example, ABC org partnered with us because of a succession action plan. They had a lot of processes in place and were tying performance to pathing but coaching was missing, that is where we came into play. To take that critical talent and prepare them for future V - C Suite opportunities!" Something like that. Step 4: Be organized. Have all of your "win stories" in one location so you can point new hires to a specific area to read and study. Step 5: Make the meeting very short. Typically a Q&A due to their study and then share one recent win and go into everything from deal size to lead source to revenue to mutual action plans to expansion hopes. Step 6: Be sure you work with whoever owns your slack or teams environment and loop in your rev ops person to ensure that any time a "closed won" deal happens, an update goes to each person on the team! Can have a channel just titled "win stories." Here is what will happen when you implement this, seen it time and time again! Revenue will go up. Why? Because you will have the entire team thinking about the WHY behind the organization and how you are making your customers and future customers life easier. And if you want to get real real crazy? Have every other leader in the org implement something similar about their day to day wins and actions, CTO / CMO / CHRO / CPO / and everyone else! PS-In a remote world, we have sort of lost touch with this type of stuff. We no longer hear Jamal or Ashton running down the hall talking about a deal they just closed or Sam or Larissa talking about their new feature release while talking to the SE team.
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Culture eats strategy for breakfast. If your strategy is misaligned with your culture, it will fail. To drive strategy effectively, you must first cultivate a culture that supports and enhances it. Key Strategies to Change Your Culture: * Clear Communication: Transparent communication minimizes resistance. Articulate the change's reasons, benefits, and expected outcomes. Encourage feedback and dialogue at all levels. * Leadership Commitment: Leaders must act as role models, demonstrating the behaviors and attitudes they expect from their team. * Employee Involvement: Engage employees in the process by involving them in decision-making and addressing their concerns. This fosters a sense of ownership and commitment to the new culture. * Training and Development: Provide opportunities for employees to develop skills and behaviors that align with the new culture through educational programs and workshops. * Recognition and Rewards: Align recognition and reward systems with the new cultural values to reinforce the desired behaviors. * Continuous Assessment: Regularly assess the effectiveness of culture change initiatives and be open to making adjustments based on these assessments. Example from Our Experience: During our carveout from Global Payments, our objective was to be the world's best service organization. This involved updating our vision, mission, and values while communicating the change through monthly all-hands meetings, emails, videos, and posters. We improved job descriptions, installed recognition programs around our theme of Living at 212º (Happy to share more about our theme), and introduced new service people and processes. AI technology resolved easy help desk calls, freeing staff to deliver white-glove service. We also learned how to enhance our service quality from the Wynn Resorts service team. We took big steps as we launched our strategic change to ensure the culture was aligned. Changing your company culture is a continuous process. By integrating these strategies, you can create a culture that supports your strategic goals and drives sustainable growth. I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences on driving cultural change in the comments below! #CultureChange #Leadership #CorporateStrategy #EmployeeEngagement #Carveout #PrivateEquity