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"Is ambition always about climbing the ladder or can it be about mastering where you are?

In our most recent episode of the Podcast, Cynthia Kiriazis and Drea Martin unpack the often misunderstood trait of hunger / drive - the internal ambition to achieve, improve, and push beyond expectations with relentless energy and proactive ownership.

The hosts explore:
• Hunger/drive as a constant push for progress and self-fueled motivation
• Why a 50th percentile score means “average,” not failing — and why that’s often enough
• Vertical drive (pursuing advancement) vs. horizontal drive (mastering your current role)
• How personal purpose shapes the way hunger/drive shows up in leaders
• Why leaders should ask about their team’s passions to better understand motivation
• Why drive should be evaluated against role needs, not arbitrary standards

Listen to the full episode - https://leadershiptraitsdecoded.buzzsprout.com/2244598/episodes/17631961-purpose-drives-performance-decoding-the-misunderstood-trait-of-hunger-drive

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3JCjRFADnKsKsIT0otB8K3

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/purpose-drives-performance-decoding-the-misunderstood/id1707063745?i=1000721106260

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Purpose Drives Performance - Decoding the Misunderstood Trait of Hunger & Drive Podcast Episode · Leadership Traits Decoded · 07/16/2025 · 13m

Selling a business is one of the most complex journeys a founder or family business will ever face.

In this week’s episode of the Podcast, host William Lindstrom sits down with Dionisio Roman III, co-founder of NextPhase Partners, to explore why time kills deals - and how sellers can prepare to avoid it.

From organizing contracts and financials early to building a management team that can run the company during a sale or owner absence, to addressing the identity shift of life after business, this conversation offers practical guidance for anyone navigating an exit.

Tune in: https://buyersfrenzy.buzzsprout.com/2526029/episodes/17743641-time-kills-deals-why-speed-organization-define-exit-success

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0PU88nBkYCuCgmzjWevETh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/time-kills-deals-why-speed-organization-define-exit/id1831857942?i=1000723769623

Time Kills Deals - Why Speed & Organization Define Exit Success Podcast Episode · Buyer's Frenzy · 08/27/2025 · 15m

Listening only isn't leadership. Listening and taking action is!

When organizations gather input, but leaders fail to respond, it creates performance drag, distrust & employee disengagement.

Cynthia Kyriazis unpacks the cost of inaction - and why the employee feedback loop is every leader’s responsibility.

Read more: https://www.plllab.com/post/when-nothing-happens-the-leadership-gap-between-listening-and-action

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When Nothing Happens - The Leadership Gap Between Listening and Action Gathering employee feedback isn’t enough. When leaders fail to follow through, trust erodes, engagement drops, and culture suffers.

What happens when your curiosity drives everyone else crazy? Have you ever been told you ask too many questions?

You’re not alone. Curious leaders often slow down the room, but not because they’re indecisive. They’re trying to understand the why before rushing into the how.

In this episode of the Podcast, Cynthia Kyriazis and Andrea Sedlacek Martin unpack the trait of intellectual curiosity — and the friction it can cause in fast-moving teams and high-performance cultures.

This episode explores:
• When curiosity is a strength vs a source of tension
• Why some teams interpret probing questions as mistrust
• How leaders can 'read the room' and adjust their inquiry style
• What it looks like to lead with curiosity and clarity.

If you've ever been caught between asking more and moving faster, this one’s for you.

Listen here - https://leadershiptraitsdecoded.buzzsprout.com/2244598/episodes/17582976-the-curious-leader-s-dilemma-when-questions-spark-friction-instead-of-clarity

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ZbrGJaZ48mJSx2oW96XF4

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-curious-leaders-dilemma-when-questions-spark/id1707063745?i=1000719666667

The Curious Leader’s Dilemma - When Questions Spark Friction Instead of Clarity Podcast Episode · Leadership Traits Decoded · 07/09/2025 · 10m

If leaders ask for feedback - but don’t act on it - trust erodes.

When staff speak up and nothing happens, it signals more than inaction - it signals leadership indifference.

Cynthia Kyriazis outlines how leadership silence damages culture and what it takes to close the loop.

Read more - https://www.plllab.com/post/when-leaders-don-t-act-culture-performance-weakens

When Leaders Don’t Act, Culture & Performance Weakens - Leadership Accountability Employees are speaking up. But when leaders fail to act, the message received is louder than the one sent. This article explores how inaction on workforce needs erodes trust, weakens performance, and drives disengagement.

Rollover equity and earn-outs are often positioned as win-win - but are they? It's usually where deals go wrong - not after close, but during negotiation.

Our PL3 roundtable on Wed 08.20 1:30P CST is for company founders or anyone structuring a deal where a founder stays involved post-transaction.

We’ll walk through the patterns that lead to breakdown - and how to avoid them early.

Topics include:
*Why vague performance targets derail relationships
*How to align earn-out metrics with internal KPIs
*Founder psychology - what shifts when control changes hands
*What to build into the deal before close to protect both sides.

Join us to learn how to structure smarter terms - ones that protect trust, performance, and alignment from day one.

Register for the upcoming 08.20 session -

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: PL3 Virtual Roundtable: Second Bite or Bitter Pill? Navigating the Human Risk in Rollover Equity & Earn-Outs. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Earn-outs and rollover equity are often pitched as win-win tools - bridging valuation gaps, preserving upside, and aligning incentives between buyers and founders. But behind the spreadsheets lies a deeper risk: The breakdown of trust, leadership, and momentum - before the ink is even dry. When a fo...

Is psychological safety just a buzzword or a business imperative?

In her latest book review, Cynthia Kyriazis delves into Amy Edmondson's "The Fearless Organization"- a timely and practical read on how psychological safety fosters team effectiveness, informed decision-making, and enhanced performance.

From avoidable failure to leadership inaction, Edmondson outlines what happens when employees don’t feel safe to speak up and how leaders can create the conditions for a fearless, high-performing workplace.

Key takeaways:
*What psychological safety is - and what it’s not
*Why silence is more dangerous than disagreement
*How leaders can turn feedback into forward momentum

If you’re serious about culture, trust, and ex*****on - this one is worth your shelf space or grab it at your local library.

Read the review: https://www.plllab.com/post/the-fearless-organization-book-review

The Fearless Organization - Book Review In The Fearless Organization, Amy Edmondson makes a compelling case for why psychological safety isn’t just a cultural ideal - it’s a core performance strategy. This review explores how trust, open communication, and leadership accountability shape engagement, learning, and long-term success.

Is your company chasing growth at the expense of performance?

David Mandel, Managing Partner at Emerging Ventures Capital, has seen it all - four exits, dozens of startup investments - a front-row seat to how fast growth can break good companies.

In this episode of , David joins William Gladhart to share battle-tested insights on:
*Why “grow at all costs” is a trap
*The true impact of culture on ex*****on & profit
*His biggest leadership regret - and how it shaped his investment approach
*How founders can build smarter by prioritizing people over pace.

His advice is blunt, clear, and rooted in reality - "Hire the best people, let them do their job, and get out of their way.”

Listen now - https://leadershiplevers.buzzsprout.com/2244596/episodes/17382212-bigger-isn-t-always-better-a-vc-reality-check-with-david-mandel

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1mrssH6FIEktDZZcYtesmh

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bigger-isnt-always-better-a-vc-reality-check-with/id1707418939?i=1000714241440

Bigger Isn’t Always Better - A VC Reality Check with David Mandel Podcast Episode · Leadership Levers · 06/23/2025 · 11m

How connected are your employees - REALLY?

Disconnected teams don’t just struggle with morale - they stall out on ex*****on, retention & strategic alignment.

Cynthia Kyriazis explains how the Feelings Index reveals early signs of cultural friction - and how leaders can respond.

Read more: https://www.plllab.com/post/how-the-feelings-index-drives-alignment-retention

How the Feelings Index Drives Alignment & Retention- Employee Connectedness Discover how the Feelings Index helps leaders measure employee connection, uncover cultural risks, and prevent performance breakdowns before they start.

Most deals don’t fall apart because of the numbers - they fall apart because of the leader.

In our latest PL3 Virtual Roundtable, experts from Transact Capital Securities, LLC, GF Data, and The Culture Think Tank unpacked how leadership gaps, founder dependence, and cultural misalignment are derailing value - well before due diligence begins.

Key takeaways:
*Why some sellers are choosing cultural fit over top dollar - “We’ve had sellers take a lower offer for a better cultural fit. That’s enlightened leadership.” Patrick Morin

*Why founder dependence hurts valuations - “The most important thing…is proving the founder is no longer ‘the business.’” William Lindstrom

*Why buyers are scrutinizing full leadership teams - “You’re buying the people who built the business - and will keep it growing.” Robert Dunn

Watch the replay + read the recap - https://www.plllab.com/post/pl3-virtual-roundtable-recap-why-leadership-readiness-is-the-new-exit-readiness

PL3 Virtual Roundtable Recap - Why Leadership Readiness Is the New Exit Readiness Why leadership - not numbers - is driving deal performance. A new recap explores how cultural fit and succession alignment are reshaping valuation and exit strategy.

Processes don’t scale performance - people do. In this episode, Adam Povlitz, CEO of Anago Cleaning Systems, breaks down the leadership moves that helped grow a $100M+ franchise network.

From building trust to removing friction, Adam shares how he shifted from micromanagement to metrics - and why choosing the right "who is more important than the perfect how."

It’s Not the How, It’s the Who - Performance Growth Lessons with Adam Povlitz -https://leadershiplevers.buzzsprout.com/2244596/episodes/17067502-it-s-not-the-how-it-s-the-who-performance-growth-lessons-with-adam-povlitz

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3VfwWWzrnRGupzTDLbLak6

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-not-the-how-its-the-who-performance-growth/id1707418939?i=100070563042

If you're scaling systems, teams, or culture - this episode is a masterclass in performance leadership.

Leadership Levers Business Podcast · Updated Weekly · This podcast spotlights leaders' actions so they may enhance their organization’s performance and culture.We feature CEOs and industry-recognized Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who share their experien…

Most deals don’t fall apart because of the numbers. They fall apart because of the people.

Leadership misalignment. Cultural friction. Succession missteps. These are the hidden risks that quietly derail value before and after close - and they’ve been notoriously difficult to measure - but that is changing!

We published a virtual roundtable preview, "Exit Readiness Starts with Leadership Readiness," which offers a preview of the upcoming July 31 Virtual Roundtable.

The roundtable will explore how predictive analytics, leadership theory, and real-time performance diagnostics are providing investors and advisors with a clearer lens into people risk, even before diligence begins. https://www.plllab.com/post/pl3-virtual-roundtable-exit-readiness-starts-with-leadership-readiness

If you advise leaders, manage transitions, support exits or drive value creation - this session is for you.

Register here to attend live or receive the replay - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/3617484533161/WN_tXp77fiMS0qb25j-Q13bqg

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: PL3 Virtual Roundtable: Exit Readiness Starts with Leadership Readiness. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. In today’s market, financials alone don’t tell the full story - and by the time you uncover leadership or culture issues in diligence, it’s too late. This roundtable brings together experts in private company transactions, leadership science, performance analytics, and M&A advisory to expose t...