It has been hard to ignore the executive resignations, AI disruptions, and even criminal implications plaguing leadership over the past year. From alleged inappropriate relationships to outright criminal behavior, it raises a difficult question: when screening executives, is the lens too narrowly focused to properly gauge judgment and integrity?

As AI pushes companies to operate leaner, it’s also driving a quiet renaissance in human connection. Face-to-face meetings, corporate events, and work travel are back in force. Apple’s upgraded AirTag couldn’t be timelier: business travel has rebounded despite economic pressure and uncertainty. In 2025, global business travel spending surpassed $1.5 trillion, with 2026 projections pointing to another 6%+ in growth.

We are entering the end of exceptionalism—an era in which wealth, innovation, and leadership are no longer treated as special cases exempt from scrutiny, taxation, or market discipline. Scale still commands rewards, but it now comes with visibility, accountability, and cost. Is innovation no longer exceptional? Maybe when we consider that for years, Chinese biotech benefited from a kind of innovation exceptionalism where domestic policy protection, licensing instead of full g

I always keep up with the latest news from the C-suite, as the vast majority of our clients and candidates are board members or active executives. It was disheartening to hear the recent news surrounding Evolve and Summa Health. Though AI and tariffs have dominated much of the discussion in our circles, we’re also talking about how tried-and-true leadership fundamentals remain irreplaceable

Starbucks is downsizing, and we couldn't help wondering, if Niccol is taking a page from OG Alan Mulally's playbook,

We join the business world in mourning the passing of Titan Fred Smith, the Founder of FedEx. In 1973, the company was founded  with 389 employees and 14 planes, and pioneered the hub and spoke model still in use. 705 aircraft, 200,000 vehicles and over 500,000 employees later, the company handles 17 million shipments daily. Smith was a stellar human outside of the boardroom as well and was awarded a medal for bravery during the Vietnam War. Most describe Fred Smith as a

When things go wrong everyone is pointing the finger at someone else. When things go right everyone wants to take the credit for it. Strong memorable Leaders will find themselves on both sides of the fence. Every decision is not going to be popular, but they are necessary. The great thing is history has a way of remembering the successful outcomes. With every decision make sure you are on the right side of history.

The 2025 NFL Draft was a nerve wracking experience for football fans this year. There were names I expected to hear in the first round picks that just didn’t happen, and well, there were some surprises, to say the least. As many of us followed the excitement, and action, I couldn’t help, but notice the valuable lessons we can glean from an executive recruitment perspective.

CEOs are the new rockstars, if you consider that they are mercilessly scrutinized, hyperbolically celebrated, and often vilified...