Mind and Fist

Writer

US Army

-Responsible for repair and programming of Sincgar Radio Systems

-Responsible for repair and programming and Blue Force Tracker network for Brave 128th Support Battalion

-Performed installation of FM networks during field training exercises

-Performed installation of antennae and batteries in military transport vehicles

-Managed inventory of sensitive military items

Land Combat Electrical Missile Systems Repairer

All American Heavyweights

-­Sponsored to train full­ time as an amateur boxer.

­-Gold medal 2011 Pennsylvania Golden Gloves title at 201+ weight class

-­Gold medal at National Police Athletic League title at 201+ weight class

­-Silver Medal at Ringside International Boxing Tournament

-­Semi Finalist at 2011 Olympic Trail Reload Tournament

-­Attained a top ten national ranking in United States Amateur Boxing

-­Assisted in the training camps for United States Super Heavyweight 2012 Olympic Representative, Dominic Breazeale

-­Primary sparring partner in training camp for Uzbekistan 1996 Light Heavyweight Olympic Representative, Timur Ibragimov for his HBO Boxing After Dark title fight.

-­Developed training techniques for boxers by applying kinesiology to existing boxing training
methods.

-­Worked on nutritional plans to keep super heavyweight fighters body fat under 12 percent

-­Instructed fighters on methods of film study to effectively attack upcoming opponents weakness.

-­Instructed fighters on methods of film study to analyze and remedy weakness in techniques

-­Worked on innovative methods to analyze and rank boxers ability relative to one another.

­-Participated in community outreach programs to speak to at risk youth about the benefits of
engaging in sports.

Boxer

Ed Latimore is a writer with over 10 years of experience in creating engaging and insightful content for various platforms and audiences. He has a B.A. in Physics from Duquesne University, a MOS certification as a Land Combat Electrical Missile Systems Repairer, and a Secret Clearance issued by the US Army.

As a self-employed writer, Ed shares his unique perspective and wisdom from his diverse background as a former heavyweight professional boxer, a veteran of the United States Army National Guard, and a physics graduate. He teaches the lessons he has learned through his blog, his newsletter, and his Twitter account, reaching millions of people who benefit from his advice and stories. Ed's mission is to help others overcome their challenges, improve their lives, and achieve their goals.

Ed Latimore

My son turned 3 today.

Having a child has made me too aware of how little time I have left in this world.

Because no matter much how it is, it is not enough.

Professional boxer (14-1-1) | Stuck at 1800-ish chess rating | Keynote Speaker | Author of “Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business: Boxing And The Art of Life

The past 3 years of 

-Refining my speech
-Learning YouTube
-Writing my book

Have helped me refine my message, my story, and what my gift is to the world. A gift that pays and is "authentically aligned."

It's also given me great appreciation for life and made me grateful.

Money only solves your money problems.

It can't repair or build trust.
It can't make people love you.

It can't even solve your money problems IF character flaws cause them.

Get enough to live a stress-free life, but not so much that you create more stress.

Because remember: Some people are so poor that money is all they have.

Everything is simultaneously a big joke and deadly serious.

If this doesn't make sense, then you either play too much or not enough

There will be times when people want you to change your mind or opinion because it makes them uncomfortable. 

You might think about backtracking or changing your opinion, but you have to remember:

The moment they gave you the ultimatum to change, the relationship between two free-thinking people was over. 

Either you cave and resentment dissolves the friendship over time, or you resist and it ends immediately.

The best lies have a small grain of truth and are spread by people with just above-average intelligence.

They are smart enough to make a convincing argument, but not smart (or willing) enough to realize the holes in it.

And sadly, neither are most people, so they fall for it.

"The opposite of addiction isn't sobriety. It's connection."

If you had to learn this the hard way, this video is for you.

https://lnkd.in/g45bsGc9

Open video: Getting Sober Taught Me The Real Truth About Trauma And Addiction on youtu.be

Getting Sober Taught Me The Real Truth About Trauma And Addiction

If you do what everyone else has done, you'll get what everyone else has gotten...

For better or worse.

The *only* way to have a different outcome is to walk a different path, even if it only differs by infinitesimally small amount.

Eventually, you'll be in different completely different places...

For better or worse.

Learn more Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business here–>https://amzn.to/4nOUlL7

Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis

Accenture

Working for PPC Group Digital Strategy and Enterprise Architecture

Lead Enterprise Architect

SILVARE

FlexCar

Flexcar is a flexible car leasing company, with operations in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Mexico.

• Led the design, the team onboarding, and the development of a custom Vehicle Tracking and Management Solution from scratch, to a fully-fledged solution within 9 months.
• Redesigned the data ingestion of the IoT fleet using AWS Timestream, Kafka, and Sockets resulting in a 75% cost reduction and a 10x increase in data processing capacity nearing 1 billion data points daily.
• Designed and implemented a first-in-market mileage tracking algorithm targeting a benefit of 1.5 million euros.
• Changed the vehicle tracking technology strategy by introducing a new IoT vehicle approach and enabling the OEM data streaming capability to respond to changing conditions. 
• Architected and designed a custom fully fledged loyalty application with web and mobile clients, integrated with customer events from the core CRM system.

Director of Engineering

FREENOW

Beat was the fastest-growing ride hailing and fleet manager in Peru, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico.

• Created technical roadmap that improved the conversion on the driver registration for 50k drivers over 5 LATAM markets.  
• Championed the use of Machine Learning models in the registration flow to automate manual steps by up to 70% and built a proof of concept. 
• Built and developed a cross-functional team that delivered progressively complex assignments with an accelerating pace.

Engineering Manager (BEAT operations in Latam)

Piraeus Bank

• Part of the top 5% talent implementing agile transformation projects targeting Euro 300 mil revenue increase
• Executed digitization programs from design to delivery for 5 integrated applications with an estimated saving of €1,5 mil
• Coordinated and implemented corporate-wide core application changes in security and product features supporting €5 bn bond spin-offs 
• Orchestrated challenging integration projects within a limited time by leveraging team and network expertise

Manager @Innovation Technology & Systems Architecture

• Accelerated product delivery by ~10% by identifying and resolving bottlenecks, while facilitating roadmap planning, suggesting a better balance of product features, and setting development priorities for a major Cash Transfer Process initiative
• Expediated user actions by 34% by contributing product features and enhancing data visualizations
• Delivered architectural and UX contributions that increased user satisfaction and performance SLIs by 27-83% in major applications

Assistant Manager @Innovation Technology & Systems Architecture

EXUS

• Delivered manual process digitization for the GDPR flow, supported with integrations with internal and external banking systems 
• Championed digitization design for 'Restructuring Business Unit' application supporting complex legal operations for 50 corporate lawyers
• Designed and introduced custom DevOps software that streamlined 21% of BPM deployments 
• Resolved technical challenges and coordinated in premise large cross-functional team with the overseas development team for the 'Confiscations and Seizures' in a 2-years program 
• Delivered application redesign 'Yield of Confiscations'  that improved performance by ~400% and enabled new capabilities for business (delivering multiple times per day instead of once every night)
• Oversaw the implementation of agile transformation projects

Tech Leader & Technical Project Manager @Core Banking Systems of Piraeus Bank 

• Incorporated development process improvements affecting 25 developers and expedited software delivery
• Contributed the first Appian playbook with best practices and conducted 3 training workshops 
• Oversaw the onboarding of new fellow engineers
• Delivered architectural contributions that simplified software and enhanced user experience in legal processes
• Increased projects transparency with a new Analysis and Documentation pack for Appian projects

Tech Leader & Senior Software Engineer @Core Banking Systems of Piraeus Bank

"Dia Heiros"​ Fine Art Contemporary Byzantine Paintings and Murals

"Dia Heiros" is an iconic firm with artwork in preserved monuments and prestigious galleries
• Pioneered the creation of a digital library with assets used in the proposal and execution phase that expedited operations by 35%
• Designed a pigment analysis software that resulted in a 43% increase in paint production productivity
• Deployed a new website and an online campaign that resulted in 20 k visitors per month and a 10% increase in revenue
• Negotiated key contracts and created the pricing policy and terms

Project Manager & Lead Software Engineer

DHL Express

• Owner for the billing and collections of DHL Express' operations in Greece (~50mil Euro revenue)
• Managed on a day-to-day basis 23 employees (split between Athens and Thessaloniki) servicing more than 5,000 customers and managing an ~ 1 mil portfolio of risky collectibles 
• Integrated as Technical Program manager 3 billing systems and 2 teams with Global Processing Centre 
• Streamlined processes by championing and leading multiple initiatives and coordinating between local and regional cross-functional teams
• Improved the business cash flow performance by 3% YoY despite the impact of the credit crisis on our customers

Billing & Collections Manager (Customer Accounting Manager)

• Reviewed business operations in 5 departments to drive cost reduction by 15%, and suggested improvements to better align offerings with customer needs 
• Headed the Merging of Financial systems of two business units (Freight, Express)
• Mitigated a crisis acting as HR interim manager for two months

Business Controller (Internal Performance Auditor & Technical Project Manager)

• Reengineered customs processes and oversaw the implementation of a new billing system yielding 150k Euros additional revenue per year
• Oversaw the implementation of the collection application in the Oracle AR module
• Audited processes in IT and Customer service department and suggested improvements using lean process management

Costing Manager (Service Profitability & Cost allocation Models)

• Selected among the European colleagues to support quality testing for the new reporting solution
• Designed and developed an software application that automated 85% of reporting activities saving 1,5 days of work and ensuring on-time reporting for monthly financial figures

Financial analyst (Group Financial Reporting, Forecasting & Budgeting)

Tech Director | Enterprise Architect | Follow for insights on Leadership Development and Career Growth | Leadership & Career Mentor | Top 20 Linkedin Greece (by Favikon)

I help C-level executives and senior leaders navigate high-stakes technology transformations that are blocking growth, burning capital, and threatening critical milestones.

Companies bring me in when they face complex challenges that sit at the intersection of technology, strategy, and people. My focus is on restoring momentum by architecting solutions and uniting cross-functional teams to execute them.

What I tackle:

- Large-Scale Transformations
Managing the immense complexity of enterprise-wide technology shifts, such as infrastructure migrations or post-merger integrations.

- Technology Crises
Stabilizing systems and projects that threaten launches, funding, or corporate reputation.

- Product Stagnation
Overcoming legacy systems and technical debt that prevent innovation and the release of new features.

- AI Strategy & Implementation
Moving from abstract ideas to a concrete AI roadmap that drives business value.

My approach is built on two axis: 
1/ Immediate results. You need to solve the immediate crisis to survive the day.
2/ Sustainable change. The most durable results happen by helping the right people from different functions to work together and drive sustainable change.

Recent Results & Experience:

- Shaped the digital strategy for a billion-size company, to effectively allocate 8-figure investments and launch their first custom-developed product.

- Initiated and shaped the enterprise-wide AI strategy for a multi-national group, synthesizing over 100 distinct opportunities into a unified, actionable roadmap.

- Slashed total ownership cost by over 75% while redesigning a fleet management product for a car leasing startup to handle 10x growth.

- Shipped first-to-market features for a B2B growing startup, targeting millions in new ARR.

I am always open to connecting with leaders facing complex growth and technology challenges.
DM me - I'm here to help.

People are everything.
Whether you develop them or hire them, your team’s intelligence defines your growth.

Here are 11 signs of highly intelligent employees:

They “cheat” on their job with a side hustle.
They’re driven by curiosity, not distraction.

They treat everyone equally.
Respect is their default setting.

They resist micromanagement.
Independent thinkers don’t wait for instructions they create solutions.

They skip meetings that don’t matter.
Focus matters more than attendance.

They help others grow.
Success multiplies when it’s shared.

They avoid gossip and politics.
Impact > Impression.

They save for freedom, not comfort.
Financial independence gives them courage.

They’re fine being the dumbest in the room.
Learning beats ego.

They’re open to new ideas.
Flexibility fuels innovation.

They learn without being told.
Curiosity never waits for permission.

And what matters most:
They’re humble, intentional, and always improving.

Greatness isn’t about playing it safe.
It’s about curiosity, courage, and constant growth.

Which of these do you see in your team?

📌 Save this for your next hiring decision.
♻️ Repost to help more leaders recognize real talent.
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Technology Strategist | Software Strategy for Growing Companies | Leadership for Growth, Change, and Innovation

People are everything.

Most people don’t fail because they can’t.
They fail because they stop showing up.

And here lies the biggest trap of all: 

❗ Showing up is not a matter a physical presence. 

It's not about clocking in and out 
- or sitting in every meeting. 

Showing up, is all about intention: 
- Its discussing with the intention to listen and understand.
- Its attending a meeting with the intention to learn or help. 
- Its solving the most important problem every week.

Most of all, showing up is believing in yourself. 

It's a deeper understanding that you don't have the luxury 
of letting feeling great or crap 
get in the middle of your performance. 

We all have bad days. 

When nothing works.  
When you’re tired.
With meetings you don’t want to join.
With goals that suddenly feel too far away.

That’s where progress hides. And huge confidence in the end of it.

Keep showing up. Even when you don't feel like to. 

Especially when you don't feel like to. 

💚  Shoutout and image credits to: Richard Goold

♻️ Share if this resonates
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The Trust Triangle Every Leader Should Build

Most leaders think trust is built through results.
It’s not.

Because trust doesn’t grow in big moments.
It grows in balance between doing, showing up, and caring.

The follow-ups.
The check-ins.
The promises kept quietly.

I’ve seen leaders chase motivation.
They give speeches, set goals, rally teams.
But the energy fades fast.
Because people don’t follow inspiration.
They follow reliability.

Here’s the truth:
Trust isn’t an emotion.
It’s a system.

Every strong leader builds their Trust Triangle on three simple foundations:

Competence → Can you do what you say?
Consistency → Will you do it again and again?
Care → Do you actually have my back?

Miss one corner, and the whole structure collapses.

You can be skilled but inconsistent → people lose faith.
You can be consistent but cold → people disengage.
You can care deeply but lack follow-through → people stop relying on you.

The strongest leaders balance all three.
They deliver.
They show up.
They care.

That’s the triangle that holds every team together.

Because when trust becomes your foundation,
leadership becomes effortless.

📌 Save this before your next leadership meeting trust isn’t given, it’s earned daily.
♻️ Repost to help more leaders build balance through competence, consistency, and care.

Everyone wants success.

Very few want the discipline.

They want 800K+ followers.
Not 2,250+ days of posting.

They want a successful business.
Not 15,000+ hours of work.

They want freedom.
Not the darings it demands.

But you must pay the price of success. 

It's discipline. It's hard work. It's determination.

Every. Single. Day.

Here's what also includes: 

- Staring at problems that no one wants to solve
- Going out of your comfort zone frequently
- Having to flop today to win big later
- Having the ugly discussions 

Not sexy. Not fun. 
But necessary.

The reward is real. 

But it only goes to those who fall in love 
with the daily process of earning it.


♻️ Share with your network if this resonates
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The biggest career lie we're told is that burnout is a badge of honor.

We trade late nights and busywork for the promise of security and appreciation, confusing effort for impact.

But the market doesn't care how hard you work.

It cares about the problems you solve.

Stop trading hours for dollars. Start building value that commands a premium.

The market rewards:

🔹Rare Skills- Not just seniority.
🔹Unique Value -Your specific knowledge.
🔹Leveraged Impact- What you do in hours that takes others days.

Your goal isn't to be the hardest worker in the room.
It's to be the most difficult to replace.

Your 3-step blueprint:

1.Shift Your Mindset: You are paid for your impact, not your attendance.
2.Build Your Foundation: Hard work is the baseline, not the finish line.
3. Audit Your Value:Ask yourself:
"What critical problem do I uniquely solve?"
"What skill do I have that is both rare and valuable?"
"Where do I create 10x the output for the same input?"

Don't just work hard. Work on the right things.

Make yourself irreplaceable.

♻️ Repost to spread the message
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Never confuse leadership with management.

I was looking at the 1980s video of the young Steve Jobs yesterday. 
He was talking about the future of the personal computer.

It's a masterclass in the distinction.

He wasn't just managing Apple; 
He was evangelizing a future that didn't exist.
He inspired action through vision, not just authority.

Here is the difference:

➡ Leadership is about Inspiration. 
It’s painting a picture of the destination 
so compelling that people are motivated 
to embark on the journey.

➡ Management is about Execution. 

Managers focus on how. 
They set and delegate tasks.
And hold people responsible for following the course. 

One is not better than the other
—they are two halves of a whole. 

But confusing the role is where organizations fail.

It's hard to master even one. 
Few excel at both. 

Tag a true leader you know below ⬇️ 
➕ Follow me (Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis) for more

Most people focus only on their top performers.

But the real competitive advantage often comes from the underdogs 
the ones who stay quiet, stay consistent, and stay overlooked.

Not because they lack talent.
But because no one ever unlocked it.

Turning hidden performers into high performers isn’t complicated.
It’s intentional.

You start by showing appreciation 
→ recognising the specific qualities they bring instead of rewarding only the loudest voices.

You understand their values and stress patterns 
→ not to pressure them, but to support growth.

You seek to understand first
→ staying curious instead of assuming attitude.

You give meaningful assignments 
→ work that stretches their potential instead of burying them in busywork.

And you speak last
→ so they have the space, confidence, and ownership to share ideas.

When you apply these strategies, you don’t just manage people.
You elevate them.

Before you use any approach, check the essentials:

→ Risk is failure recoverable?
→ Capability do they need support first?
→ Time can you coach them properly?

And then you set the foundation:

→ Clear outcomes
→ Guardrails
→ Decision rights
→ Check-ins
→ Support

Because high performers aren’t born
they’re unlocked by the right leader.

♻️ Repost if this message resonates
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Most teams don’t lose motivation because they’re weak.

They lose it because the system slowly kills their spark.

People show up wanting to contribute,
but over time they stop trying 
not because they lack talent,
but because they lack trust, freedom, and support.

The old management model relied on:
→ Authority
→ Control
→ Compliance

It treated leaders like policemen,
focused more on enforcing rules than inspiring results.

But the world has changed.

Modern leaders create environments where people want to perform.

They shift from:
→ Controlling to communicating
→ Dictating to empowering
→ Doing tasks to shaping vision

Because the truth is simple:
Motivated teams do better work.

They take ownership.
They solve problems faster.
They stay longer.
They build better products.

Not because they’re forced to 
but because they feel seen, trusted, and valued.

If you want to lead in today’s world, start here:

Inspire instead of dictate.
Listen actively.
Celebrate wins.
Delegate with trust.
Align around a shared vision.
Invest in growth.
Implement their ideas.
Share the credit.
Be kind.

Leadership isn’t about control.
It’s about creating momentum.

And momentum happens when people have the space to do their best work.

The future belongs to leaders who build environments
where greatness happens naturally.

Which leadership shift resonated with you most?

♻️ Repost if this message resonates
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Motivated teams do better work.

We’re all living under the pressure of where we “should” be.”
→ The next goal 
→ The next promotion 
→ The next big milestone.

Nothing seems to be enough, for the single reason.
Success is a journey, not a destination.

You will never be “there”. Never be “made”. Never be “ready”
What you’re missing is appreciation:
→ Struggling in your career? You’re building resilience.
→ Feeling stuck? You’re gaining clarity on what actually matters.
→ Not where you want to be? You’re developing the skills for your next level.

Growth isn’t always loud.
Sometimes it is boring, tiring and slow.

I’ve chased validation too.
I wanted to prove I was capable.
And I used to hate these “slow seasons.”

But then I realized:

The stories we admire
aren’t built on overnight wins.
They’re built on the backstage nobody sees:

→ The waiting
→ The learning
→ The failing
→ The trying again

What if this moment right now,
is exactly where you’re meant to be?

The launchpad for your next chapter:

→ Acknowledge how far you’ve come
→ Embrace what this season is teaching you
→ Trust that you’re being prepared for something bigger

One day, you’ll look back and realize:
Every step mattered. Even this one.

Which lesson is your current season teaching you?
Share it below if someone needs your perspective.

♻ Repost to remind others they’re not behind
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Most people think the loudest voice wins the room.
But it’s usually the calmest person who holds the real power.

Because in high-pressure environments, perception becomes reality.

If someone loses control while you stay centered,
you don’t just win the moment you win the room.

Composure is a competitive advantage.

Here’s the mindset shift great professionals make:

You stop trying to win the argument.
You start aiming to win the room.

You let others get emotional.
You stay grounded in facts.
You become the adult in the room.

And when things escalate, you don’t match their energy.
You redirect it with clarity, calmness, and facts.

That’s what quiet strength looks like.

The real test of leadership isn’t volume.
It’s control, presence, and the ability to shape the room without forcing it.

Be the calm that changes the dynamic.
Be the person people look to when things get messy.

Which part of this resonated the most with you?

♻️ Repost to help more people lead with calm confidence
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Most people think the loudest voice wins the room.

Many managers get the title.
Very few grow into the leader their team actually needs.

Because the moment people step into authority, they often forget the three things that made them great teammates in the first place:

What it felt like to not be in charge.
That they can be wrong.
And the importance of staying close to the people doing the real work.

Mediocre managers give orders.
Inspirational leaders give context.

Mediocre managers defend their opinions.
Inspirational leaders stay curious and listen.

Mediocre managers distance themselves.
Inspirational leaders stay present, grounded, and connected.

The leaders teams trust the most aren’t the ones above them
they’re the ones beside them.

If you want long-term influence, remember this:

Your authority doesn’t create loyalty.
Your empathy, presence, and humility do.

Which of these leadership reminders hit you the most?

♻️ Repost to help more people lead with intention
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Many managers get the title.

The best leaders don’t rush into conversations.
They prepare for them.

Before every feedback session, they follow one rule 
lead with empathy, not authority.

They:
1. Start with appreciation, not accusation.
2. Ask questions before giving answers.
3. Share their own lessons before judging others.
4. End with belief, not blame.

Because the goal of feedback isn’t to win the conversation 
it’s to strengthen the connection.

Save this 10-step Empathy-First Feedback Formula before your next 1:1.
Your tone builds trust long before your words do.

♻️ Repost to help more leaders turn criticism into coaching.
📌 Follow Yiorgos for leadership frameworks that actually work.

Smart employees don’t stand out because they work the hardest.
They stand out because they think differently.

They challenge assumptions.
They protect their focus.
They grow without waiting for permission.
And they bring a level of maturity, humility, and curiosity that quietly elevates every room they walk into.

These are the people who lift teams, shape culture, and create the kind of progress that can’t be forced or faked.

The truth is simple:
Highly intelligent employees don’t need attention they create value.
They don’t play politics they build trust.
They don’t chase titles they chase growth.

And if you’re lucky enough to have even a few of them on your team, your entire organization feels the impact.

Because great teams aren’t built on noise, pressure, or ego.
They’re built on people who are self-driven, respectful, focused, and constantly improving.

Look through the signs in the carousel and ask yourself:
Which of these qualities already exist in your team?
And which ones do you want to attract more of?

📌 Save this for your next hiring decision.
♻️ Repost to help more leaders recognize real talent.
Follow Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis for leadership frameworks that work in real life.

Smart employees don’t shine through hard work alone.

Many managers rise to the top.
Very few remember what leadership actually looks like.

Because the moment someone gets authority, they forget the three things that made them valuable before the title:

What it felt like to follow.
That their ideas aren’t always right.
And the power of staying close to the work and the people doing it.

Mediocre managers command.
Inspirational leaders communicate with context.

Mediocre managers trust the title.
Inspirational leaders trust the team closest to the problem.

Mediocre managers create distance.
Inspirational leaders show up consistently and visibly.

The leaders people trust aren’t the ones above them
they’re the ones who grow with them.

If you want real influence, remember this:

Authority can make people listen.
Empathy makes them care.

Which leadership reminder spoke to you the most?

♻️ Repost to help more managers lead with intention
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Many managers rise to the top.

Most workplaces don’t suffer from a lack of talent.
They suffer from a lack of inspiration.

76% of people feel uninspired in their role.
The cost is massive missed opportunities, emotional exhaustion, stalled growth.

But it doesn’t take dramatic change to fix this.
It takes intention.

Start with genuine appreciation.
→ A small, honest “I see you” moment can shift someone’s entire day.

Hold meaningful 1-on-1s.
→ Listen without defense.
→ Understand their fears, ambitions, and challenges.

Create real growth opportunities.
→ Align work with what they want for their future.
→ Bring their ideas to life.
Growth is fuel give it generously.

Model respect and kindness.
→ Consistency builds trust.
→ People do their best work where they feel safe.

Show appreciation daily.
→ Warmth, humor, gratitude these tiny signals build deep loyalty.

Ask for feedback and act on it.
→ Speak last.
→ Let them shape the environment they work in.

People don’t need perfect workplaces.
They need leaders who make them feel valued, heard, and supported.

Your team deserves that.

♻️ Repost if this resonates
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In 3 words, AI is the following in many people's minds: 

- Terrifying.
- Uncomfortable.
- Impossible to learn.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Marie Curie said once: 
"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood". 

Her truth holds today more than ever:
Nothing in AI is to be feared, only to be understood. 

Yes, the fear will linger… 
until you understand.

But here’s the secret most miss:
Fear isn’t a stop sign. It’s an arrow. 

It points you toward what matters most 
— growth, leverage, and relevance.

✅ Why understanding AI (especially LLMs) 
changes everything:

⏱️ Save 3–5 hours/week by automating 
- deliverables drafting
- research on everything online 
- editing communication

🚀 Upgrade output quality 
from “good enough” to “client-ready” 
or even "Woaw" factor 
by curating new insights and information.

🧠 Learn complex concepts 10x faster 
- Use notebookLM to visualize and summarize 
- Use LLMS to ask questions and role-playing

💡 Unlock creativity & insight 
— prompt your way to new angles, frameworks, 
and solutions you’d never have found alone.


This isn’t about replacing you.
It’s about amplifying you.

Image Credits: Justin Welsh

♻️ Share with your network if this resonates.
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Success isn't a trophy for high IQ or skill. It's a reward for running the less glamorous game of prioritizing problems.

The belief that success proves you're more worthy
—smarter, more skilled, more virtuous
It's a trap.

It's often about ego, not outcomes.

I've yet to meet people limited by their IQ or work intensity.
Most are limited by their focus on their routine.

As one sharp piece of advice puts it: 
"If you want to win, you have to rearrange your brain 
to lean into those big, hairy problems 
and figure out how to cut off the hair and de-risk."

That's your role as a leader, manager, or entrepreneur. 

The highest leverage comes from solving the problems 
others avoid or can't figure out.

That's it. That's the job.

Your mission is to become the Chief Problem Solver. 

This requires building a relentless weekly loop:
1. Identify your single biggest constraint.
2. Focus all available resources on solving it.
3. Measure the impact.
4. Repeat.

One problem. One solution. 52 weeks a year.

To navigate reality, use this simple matrix to prioritize your battles:

- Small, Low-Risk
   Limited reward. (Prioritize the less complex)

- Small, High-Risk
   Limited reward, high risk. (Avoid)

- Big, Low-Risk 
   The unicorn. (They don't exist)

- Big, High-Risk with Solvable Problems
   The Bingo Quadrant. This is where the real game is won.

The best of us don't just "think differently." 
They build systematic muscles for problem identification and execution.

And a fair warning
This work isn't glamorous. 

It means:
- Living inside friction.
- Facing uncomfortable truths.
- Fixing what everyone else ignores.

But this is precisely where all the leverage is found.

The question isn't if you're smart enough. 
It's if you're brave enough to stare down the one problem 
that matters most this week.

Agree?

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3 Ways to Commit Professional Suicide in the Era of AI:

1️⃣ “That’s how I’ve always done it.”

2️⃣ “I’ll wait for the AI bubble to burst—then go back to the proven way.”

3️⃣ “AI has nothing to do with our job in [X].”

I hear these even from successful, respected people.
Not because they’re stubborn or out of touch.

People resist change not out of laziness, but out of loyalty
- to a proven process
- a hard-earned reputation 
- to a team they don’t want to destabilize

They often become the most unintentionally vulnerable.

→ They push away new ideas
     not to block progress, but to protect what works.

→ They stay closed
     not from arrogance, but from exhaustion.

→ They stay stuck
     not by choice, but by gradual, invisible drift.

And the worst part?
They rarely feel the gap—until it’s too late.

Not just in skills 
but in opportunity, influence, and relevance.

💡 The roles that survive won’t be the ones 
with the deepest domain expertise 
—but those who pair it with adaptive intelligence:

→ The humility to unlearn.
→ The courage to prototype and not perfect.
→ The discipline to ask, “What if this changed tomorrow?” today.

This isn’t about replacing humans.

It’s about upgrading how we bring our humanity to work:
our judgment, empathy, creativity, and ethics
—now augmented, not automated.

The question isn’t “Will AI change my job?”
It’s “Who do I become if I fly along with it?”


Image Credits: Emma King

👇 Curious or Comfortable?
Let’s reflect—no judgment, just awareness.

♻️ Share with your network if this resonates.
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Most high performers were misunderstood long before they were celebrated.

They weren’t loud.
They weren’t stressed.
They weren’t trying to prove they were working hard every minute.

They were steady.
Focused.
Quietly excellent.

But because they didn’t “look the part,”
they were overlooked until they found a leader who saw more.

That’s where real leadership shows up:

Not in managing top talent…
but in spotting it
developing it
and protecting it.

The best people rarely scream for attention.
They just need someone to recognize their potential
before another company does.

If you’re a leader, remember:

Your greatest future stars
might already be in the room.

You just haven’t looked closely enough yet.

Which leadership shift from the carousel hit you the most?

♻️ Repost to help more leaders recognize hidden talent
➕ Follow Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis for practical leadership & team-building insights

Greatness is misunderstood before it’s praised.

Unpopular belief: Gen AI isn't best used when you only apply it to shrink the workforce by 20%. 

While it's a fact that Gen AI will make some positions redundant... 

History shows: 
- email didn’t shrink workforces; it reshaped them. 
- So did mobile, cloud, DevOps, code autocompletion …

Human potential isn’t capped by the job descriptions they were hired.
— I've seen it’s unbounded. 

Waiting for the right environment, 
the right challenge,  
the right support 
to ignite.

So when leaders focus only on shrinking headcount 
for a quick 20% efficiency gain… 
You’re optimizing the past.

But when you invest in 
- rotating 
- retraining 
- reimagining roles 

WITH AI and not against it

You're unlocking compounding returns: 
✅ innovation velocity,
✅ retention, 
✅ resilience… 

and yes, better (10x) ROI.

And rotation isn’t disruption
It’s talent optimization.

The question isn’t “Can we afford to retrain?”
It’s “Can we afford not to?”

The best ROI right now? Investing in people before they feel obsolete.

♻️ Share with your network if this resonates
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The Battle

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