What I'm Hearing From Leaders | July 2026
One of the best parts of what I do is spending time with leaders who are building companies, scaling teams, investing in founders, and thinking deeply about where business is headed.
Startupfest gave me plenty of those conversations. Between sessions, over coffee, and in the hallways, I had the chance to connect with founders, investors, operators and executives who are shaping what's next.
But the conversations didn't stop when Startupfest ended. Over the past few weeks, I've continued connecting with leaders across North America, and while every conversation has taken a different direction, I'm noticing a few themes emerge again and again.
Not the latest AI tool. Not fundraising.
People.
How we build teams. How we develop leaders. And what it will take to grow companies in a world that's changing faster than ever. Here are 3 conversations that have stayed with me recently.
Before we jump in, a quick personal note: Chris is currently sailing across the Atlantic, so we're wishing him safe travels and calm seas! And Mitch... well, he somehow looks exactly the same as he did 20 years ago. We're still waiting for him to share his secret.
Mitch Joel
Co-Founder, ThinkersOne | Author of Six Pexels of Seperation
"Founders are looking for some type of a shadow clone of themselves. And what I think they're missing is you're not looking for someone who's going to own the company like you or have that level of passion."
Mitch Joel
Mitch Joel challenged a common hiring mistake founders make. Too often, founders look for someone who thinks, acts, and operates just like they do. But the best hires aren't clones of the founder. They're experts in areas where the founder isn't. Rather than searching for someone with the same entrepreneurial drive or ownership mindset, founders should prioritize mastery, excellence, and genuine fulfillment in the work they're being hired to do. Great teams are built by complementing strengths, not duplicating them.
My Takeaway
What stood out to me wasn't just the hiring advice. It was the reminder that founders and executives are driven by different things, and that's exactly what makes the partnership work. One creates the vision. The other brings the depth, perspective, and discipline to turn that vision into something much bigger than either could build alone.
Chris Greenfield
CEO | Executive Director | Board Leadership | Advisor
"The biggest change over the next decade won't come from AI alone. It will come from the collision of three powerful forces: people are living and working much longer, AI is rapidly reshaping knowledge work, and younger generations are finding it increasingly difficult to gain experience."
Chris Greenfield
Chris argues that we're reaching an inflection point where many of the assumptions we've built the workforce around no longer hold true. People are living and working longer, AI is transforming how knowledge work gets done, and younger professionals have fewer opportunities to gain meaningful experience. Individually, each shift is significant. Together, they fundamentally reshape how organizations attract talent, develop leaders, and prepare for the future.
My Takeaway
What stuck with me wasn't just the technology. It was the reminder that great leaders have to look beyond the obvious. The companies that thrive won't just react to AI. They'll rethink how they develop people, create opportunities to learn, and build organizations that can adapt to a very different workforce than the one we've known for the past few decades.
Becky Wang
Operating Partner | Growth Executive
"Extraordinary companies aren't built by one brilliant founder. They're built because a handful of people picked each other very well."
— Becky Wang
I heard Becky Wang at Startupfest and her point was simple but powerful. The companies we admire aren't the result of one visionary carrying everyone else. They're the product of intentional relationships, where founders and early leaders choose people whose strengths, values, and judgment complement their own. Success comes from the quality of those choices, not the mythology of the lone genius.
My Takeaway
Every company eventually becomes a reflection of the leadership team around the founder. Strategy evolves. Products change. Markets shift. But the people you choose will determine how every challenge is solved. The future of a company is often decided long before the next funding round or product launch. It's decided in the hiring decisions no one else notices.
My Overall Takeaway
Three conversations. Three very different perspectives.
Yet they all pointed to the same conclusion.
The future won't be defined by technology alone. It will be shaped by the people we choose, the leaders we develop, and the teams we build.
Whether it's resisting the urge to hire people who think like us, reimagining how careers will evolve, or recognizing that great companies are built by great leadership teams rather than great individuals, one message came through clearly.
Leadership is becoming less about having all the answers and more about surrounding yourself with people whose strengths challenge, complement, and elevate your own.
As an executive search partner working with founders, startups, scaleups, and growth-stage companies, these are the same conversations we're having with clients across North America.
The discussion is no longer just about filling leadership roles.
It's about building leadership teams that can navigate uncertainty, embrace change, and create organizations that are ready for what's next.
Technology will continue to reshape how we work.
But people will always determine how far we go.
What conversations are you having about leadership, talent, and the future of work?
