Eric Partaker's Founder & CEO Accelerator

A 3-Step System to Transform Your Productivity Credit to Asif Ahmed. Follow him for insights like this. Original post below: ===== A McKinsey study revealed something shocking: Only 9% of professionals feel "highly productive." Here's the exact system I've observed following 100+ high-performing founders: The Productivity Triangle™ 🔺 1/ Time Optimisation Engine 🎯 ↳ Time block like a CEO (2-hour deep work slots) ↳ Prioritise ruthlessly (if it's not a 9/10, it's a no) ↳ Kill your productivity vampires 2/ Energy Management System ⚡ ↳ Sleep is your competitive advantage ↳ Strategic breaks (17-min cycles) ↳ Stress becomes your fuel 3/ Focus Architecture 🎯 ↳ Single-tasking is the new superpower ↳ 90-day reflection cycles ↳ Design your Zen workspace But here's what nobody tells you: Missing just ONE element creates: • Time + Energy without Focus = Inefficiency • Energy + Focus without Time = Exhaustion • Focus + Time without Energy = Ineffectiveness The reality? Real productivity lives at the intersection of all three. ===== ♻ Repost to help your network. Follow Eric Partaker's Founder & CEO Accelerator for more.

The Pitch Iceberg Credit to Richard Blundell. Follow him for more frameworks that actually get results. Original post below: ===== 🧊 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗴. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: What you think matters in a pitch… often doesn’t. 💡 What investors see vs. what really matters: 👀 What’s above the surface (and overrated): — Polished slides — Charisma — Buzzwords — A memorized script — Vanity metrics 🔎 What’s below the surface (and actually drives decisions): ✅ Product-market fit evidence ✅ Deep market understanding ✅ Go-to-market strategy ✅ Scalable model ✅ Realistic financials ✅ Competitive edge ✅ Team chemistry ✅ Customer acquisition strategy ✅ Long-term vision ✅ Operational discipline 📉 Founders who obsess over looking good often miss the chance to be great. ===== ♻ Repost to help your network. Follow Eric Partaker's Founder & CEO Accelerator for more.

7 Brutal Hiring Mistakes Even Top CEOs Make Credit to Emma J E.. Follow her for more real-world executive hiring insights. Original post below: ===== 🛑 7 Brutal Hiring Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) 1️⃣ Misaligned Expectations  ↳ Stakeholders see the role differently  ↳ No clear agreement on what “success” looks like across 12, 24, and 36 months. Fix:  🔹 Align leadership upfront.  🔹 Define real business problems and outcomes together before the search starts 2️⃣ Superficial Cultural Fit  ↳ Culture judged over coffee chats and buzzwords  ↳ True dynamics surface only under real pressure Fix:  🔹 Forget glossy presentations.  🔹 Run live team workshops watch how candidates lead, listen, and adapt in real time. 3️⃣ Lack of Structure, Support & Authority  ↳ New executives land in chaos with no real backing  ↳ Influence is earned too late, when damage is already done Fix:  🔹 Build a 90-day landing plan: Warm introductions to key players Executive sponsorship Early wins mapped 4️⃣ Hiring for Past Wins, Not Present Challenges  ↳ Award-winning CVs solve yesterday’s problems not today’s  ↳ Logos and titles don’t guarantee current strategic fit Fix:  🔹 Test candidates in real-world challenges your company is facing now  🔹 Look for thinking, not trophies 5️⃣ Sink-or-Swim Onboarding  ↳ “Senior people figure it out” is a growth-killer.  ↳ Silence breeds confusion and slow failure Fix:  🔹 Set structured 30-60-90 day feedback loops.  🔹 Create fast, open calibration points early 6️⃣ Unrealistic Timelines & Lone Hero Syndrome  ↳ Hoping for an instant miracle  ↳ Expecting one exec to fix systemic scaling problems Fix:  🔹 Phase success milestones intelligently  🔹 Build a support system around them scaling is a team mission 7️⃣ Ignoring Soft Skills in Action  ↳ Credentials blind companies to communication breakdowns.  ↳ Leadership is emotional intelligence at scale. Fix:  🔹 Watch how candidates influence, coach, listen, and adapt live — not just what they say in interviews 📣 Bottom Line: Most executive hiring today is corporate theatrics If you’re still relying on polished CVs and smooth interviews, you're playing a losing game ✅ Smart CEOs design leadership teams that scale ✅ Average CEOs hope and pray they hired “the right person.”  What’s been your hardest lesson when hiring? ===== ♻ Repost to help your network. Follow Eric Partaker's Founder & CEO Accelerator for more.

9 CEO Strategic Finance Skills Credit to Oana Labes, MBA, CPA Labes. Follow her for more strategic insights on financial leadership. Original post below: ===== Most CEOs think finance is the CFO’s job. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Capital allocation is the CEO’s job. Here’s how that works: The CEO sets the vision. The CFO helps execute it with financial insight. But if the CEO doesn't understand strategic finance, That vision is just expensive guesswork. Why does this matter? Because capital allocation (what to fund, what to cut, what to bet on): ↳ Shapes the business model ↳ Drives shareholder value ↳ Defines the company’s trajectory That’s not ops. That’s not FP&A. That’s CEO territory. Here’s how the best CEOs lead financially: ✓ They treat the CFO as a strategic partner, not just a numbers gatekeeper ✓ They understand cash flow, ROIC, debt capacity, and capital efficiency ✓ They guide the financial narrative, not just approve the numbers ✓ They set capital allocation priorities based on long-term business value The CFO can set the table. But the CEO has to decide what gets served. ===== ♻ Repost to help your network. Follow Eric Partaker's Founder & CEO Accelerator for more.

How To Communicate Like A CEO Credit to Rohan Sheth. Follow him for more communication advice. Original post below: ===== Every great CEO knows this: Weak writing makes strong people look bad. That's why all the best leaders prioritize written comms. If you're writing emails or even Slack messages that sound: 🚫 Insecure 🚫 Overly formal 🚫 Or completely unclear Your credibility is going to take a hit. And I doubt you'll get the answers, approvals, or actions you're looking for. If you want to write like a CEO and be impossible to ignore... Start here: 1. Make the Subject Line Earn Its Keep ↳ Be clear. Be specific. Make them want to open it. ❌ “Quick question” ✅ “Need your approval on Q3 budget by Friday” 2. Lead With the Win ↳ Hit them with the result or main point in the first line. ❌ “Hope you’re doing well. I wanted to update you…” ✅ “Leads are up 32% this week. Here’s what changed.” 3. Kill the Weak Words ↳ “Just,” “I think,” “kind of” make you sound unsure.  ❌ “I just wanted to check if…” ✅ “Can you confirm this today?” 4. Write Like a Human ↳ If you wouldn’t say it over coffee, don’t type it. ❌ “As per our previous correspondence…” ✅ “Following up on our last conversation…” 5. Spell Out What You Want ↳ Tell them exactly what needs to happen and when. ❌ “Let me know what you think.” ✅ “Can you sign off on this by Thursday?” 6. Make It Stupid Easy to Read ↳ Short sentences. Clear breaks. No walls of text. ❌ 8-line paragraphs that make their eyes bleed. ✅ One thought per line. Easy to scan. 7. Show Me The Receipts ↳ Back it up with proof so they know you’re not blowing smoke. ❌ “The campaign is doing great.” ✅ “CTR jumped from 2.4% to 5.1% in six days.” 8. End With Certainty ↳ Leave no doubt about what happens next. ❌ “Thanks.” ✅ “Thanks, I’ll call you at 2pm to confirm.” The difference between average and CEO-level communication is huge. It's about clarity, confidence, and respect for the reader’s time. You write this way, you get: ☑️ Answers faster ☑️ Projects moving quicker ☑️ People taking you seriously This type of communication opens doors you didn’t even know existed. It’s how you build leverage in a competitive world... And ensure the right people stay in your corner. ===== ♻ Repost to help your network. Follow Eric Partaker's Founder & CEO Accelerator for more.

6 Filters Great Leaders Use Before They Decide Credit to Jonathan Raynor. Follow him for more insights like this. Original post below: ===== Before you decide, pause. Great leaders use these 6 filters first. 1. The Values Filter  Does this align with what we stand for? Strong leaders don’t chase convenience.  They act in line with their core values - always. 2. The People Impact Filter  Who benefits, who struggles, and who’s left out? They weigh the impact on morale and inclusion.  No decision is neutral. Culture feels every choice. 3. The Long-Term Lens  Will this hold up six months from now? They avoid fixes that cause future friction.  Short-term wins mean little if they break trust. 4. The Clarity Test  Is the message clear enough to act on? If people need to “read between the lines,”  that’s a signal to simplify before rolling out. 5. The Energy Check  Does this energize or drain the team? They notice when momentum rises or crashes.  Motivation is part of the strategy, not an afterthought. 6. The Bias Breaker  Am I reacting, or responding with intention? Great leaders pause to examine their instinct.  They challenge assumptions before they act on them. Clear thinking builds trusted leadership. And a few filters change everything. ===== ♻ Repost to help your network. Follow Eric Partaker's Founder & CEO Accelerator for more.

How Top CEOs Handle Tough Conversations Credit to Christine Carrillo. Follow her for more insights on leadership. Original post below: ===== Every ignored issue turns into a crisis. Every honest conversation prevents one. The toughest conversations define your leadership. How you handle them shapes your company's future. Great CEOs don't avoid tough conversations, they own them. Because the ones that don't: ↳ Let underperformance slide. ↳ Create confusion by staying silent. ↳ Let small issues spiral into big problems. ↳ Lose trust as their team sees the avoidance. ↳ Trade short-term comfort for long-term dysfunction. The leaders who embrace tough conversations: ↳ Strengthen team culture with open communication. ↳ Set clear expectations and accountability. ↳ Create an environment where people grow. ↳ Solve problems before they escalate. ↳ Build trust through honesty. Tough conversations aren't roadblocks.  They're turning points. Your words either build trust or break it. Choose wisely. ===== ♻ Repost to help your network. Follow Eric Partaker's Founder & CEO Accelerator for more.

Venture Studios vs Accelerators Credit to Chris Tottman. Follow him for more insights like this. Original post below: ===== Most people think starting a company is like lighting a rocket 🚀 Turns out, there are two ways to do it: 1. Build the baby (venture studios) 2. Fuel the rocket (accelerators) Let’s break both down to their bones. 1. Studios = Company Parents They start with nothing. No ideas. No teams. Just raw space. Imagine a lab where designers, engineers, and CEOs huddle daily. They sweat together. Fight. Pivot. Kill 9/10 ideas before year one. You’re a co-founder, but share control (they take 30-70%). No solo heroics. Studios handle legal, HR, funding. You build. For 3-5 years. Slow bake. Fail? They reassign you. Succeed? They’ve planned your exit since day one. 2. Accelerators = Rocket Mechanics They find rockets already in flight. You need fuel (cash), navigation (mentors), and a launchpad (demo day). 3 months. 5-10% equity. Mentors talk, you do. Your metrics rule. Flatline? You’re out. Network explodes. But fail post-program? They ghost. Success = raising cash. Fast. Studios build legacies. Accelerators bet on speed. One isn’t better. Just different DNA. ===== ♻ Repost to help your network. Follow Eric Partaker's Founder & CEO Accelerator for more.

9 Signs Your Team Feels Truly Valued Credit to Amy Gibson. Follow her for more insights on leadership. Original post below: ===== The secret to unstoppable teams? They feel genuinely valued. As CEO of C-Serv , creating a healthy workplace culture has always been a top priority. And what I’ve learned in the process? Showing appreciation for your team is key. Appreciation costs nothing. Yet we treat it like a limited resource. Recognition takes seconds. Yet we save it for annual reviews. Belief changes everything. Yet we assume people already know. When your team feels truly valued, something shifts: ✦ They speak up in meetings without fear ✦ They own problems without being asked ✦ They celebrate each other's wins naturally ✦ They bring solutions, not just complaints ✦ They stay late because they want to ✦ They recruit their best friends to join ✦ They defend the company when you're not there The magic isn't in grand gestures. It's in the daily moments: ➨ The quick "great job on that presentation" ➨ The "I noticed you stayed late—thank you" ➨ The "your idea made a real difference" ➨ The "I believe you can handle this" Your team doesn't need perfect leadership. They need to know they matter. That their work has meaning. That their effort is noticed. That their growth is important. When people feel valued, they don't just work harder. They work inspired. And inspired teams? They move mountains. Not because they have to. But because they believe they can. ===== ♻ Repost to help your network. Follow Eric Partaker's Founder & CEO Accelerator for more.

I've watched hundreds of leaders handle crisis moments. The best ones share something fascinating in common: Their language. 12 powerful phrases that separate great leaders from the rest: 💡 "We'll get through this, step by step." They break down chaos into manageable pieces.  Small steps lead to big victories. 💡 "Let's focus on what we can control right now." They don't waste energy on things beyond their reach.  Control the controllables. 💡 "What's the one decision we need to make  immediately?" They know that in crisis, perfect is the enemy of good.  Make the critical calls first. 💡 "What does success look like for us?" They paint a clear picture of the destination.  You can't navigate without a North Star. 💡 "I trust the team to navigate this effectively." They empower their people.  Micromanagement kills momentum in crisis. 💡 "Who do we need to involve?" They build the right team for the challenge.  Not everyone, just the essential players. 💡 "What's the biggest risk?" They face threats head-on, but always  with a mitigation plan in hand. 💡 "Let's pause and assess the facts." They know that reactive decisions can make  things worse. Take a breath. Think it through. 💡 "This challenge is an opportunity." They see every crisis as a chance to emerge stronger.  Growth comes from pressure. 💡 "How can I support the team?" They lead with empathy. Sometimes your team just needs to know  you've got their back. 💡 "What's the simplest solution?" They start with quick wins.  Complex problems often have simple first steps. 💡 "What's our next move?" They stay flexible. Because Plan A doesn't always work,  but the alphabet has 25 more letters. Great leaders know a secret: Pressure doesn't create weakness. It exposes it. Pressure doesn't destroy teams.  It shows you where they need support. Use these questions not just to survive pressure,  but to thrive under it. What other phrase would you add to the list? P.S. Want a PDF of my Ways CEOs Handle High-Pressure Situations cheat sheet? Get it free: https://t.ly/urcBU ♻️ Repost to help a CEO in your network. Follow Eric Partaker's Founder & CEO Accelerator  for more world-class CEO insights. - 📢 LAST CHANCE this year! 60+ already enrolled in the next Founder & CEO Accelerator cohort. DOORS CLOSE TODAY Oct 1. Apply HERE: https://t.ly/Yd6Nf