Engineering with People Intelligence | Microsoft, Yahoo, SAP, Carnegie Mellon | The Engineering Career Coach

I transformed from a curious software engineer to a strategic leader, guiding massive teams at Microsoft, Yahoo, Walmart Labs, and startups. Along this journey, I generated over $2.3 billion in revenue. But it wasn't always smooth sailing.

My quest began with questions about management, innovation, and leadership, leading me to an unexpected discovery - emotional intelligence. It sparked a new realization; traditional corporate management training teaches frameworks, not leadership. That's why I created Taha's Method, a unique approach focused on leading yourself before others and applying management frameworks rooted in human principles.

And boy, did it work!

In 6 years, I led from 0 to 250+ team members. To date, I have coached over 600+ professionals, including those at Google, Netflix, Oracle, Microsoft, Meta, Intuit, Yahoo, and startups, helping them to secure management as well as IC roles (Principal+).

But why stop there?

In January 2022, I walked away from a 7-figure career to dedicate myself to enabling ambitious software engineers to reach their full potential. I developed a personalized 6-month 1:1 coaching program - and the impact has been phenomenal. (Check out the reviews from my clients below.)

Every day, I share insights on LinkedIn about effective leadership, emotional intelligence challenges, and career advancements. In doing so, I've created a vibrant community of learners and leaders.

For me, great leadership can make the world a better place. And I believe that everyone has the capacity to become a great leader.

So, are you ready to unlock your potential? 

Join me, and let's change the world one leader at a time.

Taha Hussain

At Microsoft, I saw three kinds of senior engineers. 

The first were the Masters.

They were the best technicians I had. 

Flawless code. 
Deep systems knowledge. 
The kind of engineer you begged to review your work.

But most of them were stuck at L64 for a decade.

They stayed in the code. 
Their reach stopped at their fingertips.

They blamed managers for not making them bigger than they were willing to become.

The second were the Heroes.

They ran toward outages. 
Took the hits. 
Brought everything back online.

And the team leaned on them. Too much.

The mess returned, and the Hero was there again in the middle of it.

They absorbed complexity. 
They multiplied reliability. 
They did not multiply successors.

The third were rare. The Challengers.

In calibration discussions, it took 30 seconds. 
Everyone said, "The best."

They did not step in. They stepped back.
They handed the outage to the junior.
They let the mid-level bleed through a design review.

They held the line until people changed shape.

They did not multiply output. 
They multiplied people.

Masters make code.
Heroes make systems.
Challengers make people.

And people outlast everything.

Want to grow into the kind of engineer people call “the best” in 30 seconds?

Enroll in the Top Engineer Method.

I built it from my experience shaping engineers at Microsoft, SAP and startups into true Challengers.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gMGfmVas

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Engineering Career Coach | Microsoft, Yahoo, SAP, Carnegie Mellon | Engineering with People Intelligence

The most dangerous person to work for is a first-time manager.

Not because they don’t know what they’re doing,

But because no one punishes them when they get it wrong.

For six months, every misstep gets wrapped in gift paper labeled “growth.”

And you?

You’re the ribbon they pull apart.

Every new EM goes through the same phase:

• Break the silence
• Practice discomfort
• Prove you're a leader: "give tough feedback"

So they go looking for something to fix.
Even when there's nothing to fix.

In September, three new clients came to me.

Each on a PIP, all under first-time managers.

The feedback reads like a template.

Facts. Expectations. No warmth. No context.

Here’s the part no one wants to say out loud:

New managers are afraid.

Afraid of being wrong.
Of sounding junior.
Of being exposed as someone who never belonged in the chair.

So they overcompensate.

And you become the proof they’re looking for.

If you're working under a new manager: tread lightly.

Don't confuse their fear with your failure.
Don’t make their practice your identity.

Most don’t mean harm. 
But they are learning on live subjects. 

Treat them like a cop on the highway:

Hands at ten and two.
No sudden moves.
Let them pass.

Then get back to driving your career.

You can't choose every manager you work for.

But you can choose how you grow under them.

Need help taking control of your growth?

Enroll in the Top Engineer Method.

I built it from my experience growing engineers at Microsoft, SAP, and startups through messy, imperfect management environments.

Start now: https://lnkd.in/gMGfmVas

Your career deserves steadier hands, especially your own.

graphical user interface, text, application

If you feel like a fraud, here’s the good news:
You care.
You’re aware.
You want to do the thing right.

Most actual frauds don’t feel like impostors.
They feel entitled.

So if you’re doubting yourself, keep going.
It means you’re getting closer to something real.

Impostor syndrome doesn’t mean you’re unqualified.

It means you’re growing faster than your confidence can catch up.

Give it a minute.

If you are in that space where your ability is clear but your belief lags behind, I built Top Engineer Method for you. 

It helps engineers turn quiet doubt into quiet confidence.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gMGfmVas

Most people don’t stay at companies out of loyalty.

They stay because leaving would expose how little they’ve grown.

We tell ourselves we’re “committed.”
We’re often just comfortable being seen as reliable.

Loyalty without evolution isn’t noble.
It’s stagnation dressed as virtue.

Stay because you’re learning.
Leave when you’re not.

That’s loyalty to yourself.

When you outgrow your environment, it is not betrayal to move on. That is the moment for reinvention. 

The Top Engineer Method was built to help you find it.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gMGfmVas

Taplio

(7) Feed | LinkedIn

The best engineer on the team is like salt.
You don’t notice them.
Until they’re gone.

No big goodbye.
No incident.
No drama.

Just... friction.

PRs bounce around.
Standup feels heavier.
The sprint goal slips, but no one names it.

Someone blames shifting priorities.
Someone else says it’s dependencies.

No one mentions the name that’s missing.

Because no one realized they were the one holding it all together.

They weren’t loud in meetings.
Didn’t “drive the vision.”
Never showed up with a 5-point plan and a Notion doc.

They just made everything... smoother.

Caught the edge case.
Spotted the bug early.
Asked the quiet question that saved two weeks of rework.

And when you thanked them?

They just nodded. Maybe dropped a 👌. That’s it.

They didn’t need credit.
But they deserved something.

And now?

Now the team is full of smart people, doing smart things—
but it doesn’t feel smart.

It feels scattered.
Tense.
A little bitter.

And someone says,

"I don’t know... it just felt easier before."

Yeah.

Because salt doesn’t call attention to itself.
It just makes everything else taste right.

Until it’s gone.

And then, all you taste is the missing.

If you’ve ever felt like the missing ingredient no one names, I built this for you

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gMGfmVas

Most engineers chase titles.

Senior. Staff. Principal. Lead.

But here’s the truth:

Your title isn’t your ceiling.
Your communication is.
Your visibility is.
Your leverage is.

I’ve seen Staff Engineers nobody trusts.
And Seniors with Director-level influence.

If your work is invisible, your value is too.

So speak clearly.
Document generously.
Mentor someone.
Present your work.
Post your lessons.

Quiet excellence is noble.

But it rarely gets promoted.

Need help making your work visible without feeling loud?

Enroll in the Top Engineer Method.

I built it from my experience growing engineers at Microsoft, SAP and Walmart into people the org could not overlook.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gMGfmVas

Skipped a workout.
Ate delivery again.
Didn’t show up for the interview.
Didn’t practice.
Didn’t read.
Didn’t grow.
Didn’t win the day.

But you know what?

You're still here.

Still trying.

Still learning.

That counts.

Don’t let the shame of an unproductive day bleed into the next one.

New day. New shot.

Let’s go.

Managers obsess over grooming people for promotion.

They forget to groom themselves for replacement.

If your team falls apart when you step away, you did not build strength. You built a bottleneck.

Great managers are not trying to be the hero.

They are trying to be removable.

They train decisions into their people.
They design systems that run without hand-holding.
They make themselves less necessary every quarter.

That is how you earn real scope.

First, your team runs without you.

Then the org trusts you with more than your team.

If you want to build that kind of team, that is exactly what Top Tech Leader is for.

Practical systems, real scripts, and a clear operating model for managers who want ownership, not chaos.

Join here: https://lnkd.in/gHSYuJrv

The middle is the worst place to be.

Not building a career
Not learning
Not resting, not recovering
Not risking, not growing

Just floating in a lukewarm pool of “meh.”

If you want freedom, you have to move.

Left or right.
Up or down.
Forward or backward.

Just pick.

Because staying in the middle?

That’s how people wake up 15 years later filled with regret.

Choose a direction.
Then sprint.

If you’ve been stuck in the middle — not failing, not fulfilled — you’re not alone.

That’s why I built Top Tech Leader, to help you pick a direction and lead with intent.

Learn more → https://lnkd.in/gHSYuJrv

Geeta Sharma landed L6 role at Google for $672K.

But the real breakthrough happened before she said yes to the offer.

Senior Engineering Manager.
CS grad. Data, storage, cloud.
20+ years at the same company.

She came to me looking for a new role.

Four interviews before we met.
Two failed.
Two she never showed up for.

She thought she needed motivation.
A goals doc.
A practice plan.

I gave her both. She didn’t show up. 

It wasn’t a failure of willpower.
It was a systems error.

And it got worse.

By July, she wasn’t even a manager anymore.

By October, she was L6 at Google.

I wrote about what happened in between.

"The Debugging of Geeta Sharma"

Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gyt-UGCp

An Engineering Director hired me to prep him for an M2 role at Meta. He didn’t get it. Not even M1.

On paper, he was perfect.

• Scaled systems
• Managed managers
• Hit every target
• Told every story by the book

So what went wrong?

It wasn’t his answers.
It wasn’t his architecture.
It wasn’t his delivery.

A leadership blind spot, hidden inside his success.

Startups reward it.
Big tech exposes it.

And it revealed itself with one question.

I wrote about it in the article:

"Why Meta rejected Jeff."

(Tap the image below to read it 👇)

One question exposed the blind spot that decides promotions. The Zoom call started on time. Jeff appeared, fiddling with his headphones. He had a poli

Open article: Why Meta Rejected Jeff by Taha Hussain • 4 min read

Senior engineers think it’s about the code.

Staff engineers know it’s about something else.

I’ve seen the same story 100 times:

A sharp Senior does everything right — clean commits, crisp design docs, predictable delivery — and still gets passed over.

Meanwhile, someone with half the technical depth overtakes them into a Staff role.

It’s not politics.
It’s not favoritism.
It’s five invisible skills no one talks out loud.

I wrote about them here:

5 Skills That Separate Staff From Senior

(Click the image below to read it 👇)

I’ve watched this play out too many times. A Senior engineer does everything right. They know the systems cold. Their code reviews are precise. Their 

5 Skills That Separate Staff From Senior

Every engineer hates politics.

Until they watch a weaker idea win
just because the right person said it.

Until their carefully-prepared presentation dies quietly
because they didn't loop someone in.

Until the obvious solution gets tossed
because it makes someone uncomfortable.

At first, you think it's just unfair.

Then you realize:

Fairness was never the game.
Influence was.

Influence isn't about charm or manipulation.
It's knowing:

→ When to speak up, and when to wait.
→ Which egos need room, and how to give it gracefully.
→ How to present your solution as an upgrade, not a threat.

You can pretend politics don't exist.
You can hope your quiet contributions get noticed.

Or you can choose to see the invisible currents clearly.

You don’t need to play games.
You need to stop assuming merit wins on its own.

Engineers can learn influence without faking, manipulating, or selling out. 

Here’s how: https://lnkd.in/gMGfmVas

You say you’re open to feedback.

But you’re not.

You’re open to praise wrapped in suggestions.
You’re open to feedback that doesn’t hurt.
You’re open to what confirms what you already believe.

The moment it threatens your self-image?

You shut down.
You start nitpicking how it was said.
You label it “rude” or “harsh” or “not actionable.”

Here’s what’s really happening:

You’re not protecting your growth.
You’re protecting your guilt.

Because if the feedback is even half true?

You’d have to face all the moments you coasted.
All the things you said you’d do and didn’t.
All the ways you played small when you knew better.

That’s not feedback rejection.
That’s ego triage.

You’re not built soft.
You’re just rusty.

Let the feedback hit.
Let it bruise.
Let it point to something real.

Then fix it.
Quietly.
Relentlessly.
Like a professional.

No shame.
No tantrum.
Just reps.

If you want to turn bruises into breakthroughs, this is where you begin.

Enroll in the Top Engineer Method.

I built it to help engineers grow without defensiveness and improve without drama.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gMGfmVas

Promotions teach you how to climb.
Layoffs teach you how to survive.

One rewards loyalty.
The other rewards leverage.

If you’re only optimizing for titles, you’re fragile.
If you’re building skills, networks, and reputation, you’re durable.

One path depends on your company.
The other depends on you.

Need help building a career that survives any company?

Enroll in the Top Engineer Method.

I built it from years of growing engineers at Microsoft, SAP and startups into durable, high-trust professionals.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gMGfmVas

If you're an engineering leader, here's a hard truth:

Your job is to manage up and craft down.

Executives don’t care about clean architecture.

Engineers don’t care about stakeholder politics.

So your influence lives in the middle:

• Translating chaos into clarity.
• Turning vision into interfaces.
• Turning ego into velocity.

Bad managers hide in ambiguity.
Great ones compress it.

The more clearly you think, the less your team has to.

Need help?

I help engineering leaders cut through ambiguity and lead with clarity.

Learn how inside the Top Tech Leader program ↓
https://lnkd.in/gHSYuJrv

If you're a manager and you're tired all the time...

It's probably not the work.

It's the emotional overhead.

• The passive-aggressive reports
• The pressure to perform + protect
• The back-to-back meetings
• The politics
• The feeling that you're never doing enough for your team

Managing humans is hard.

You're not broken. You're carrying too much.

Want to last in this role?

You need boundaries.
You need peers.
You need space to not be strong.

You're a manager.

But you're still a person.

Don't forget that.

If you’ve been feeling the weight of leadership, you’re not alone.

That’s why I built Top Tech Leader — a place for managers to grow without exhaustion.

Weekly Live Sessions.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gHSYuJrv

In a toxic org, being great makes you a target.

• You get more asks
• You become the buffer
• You absorb the chaos

Eventually you get burned out while someone else gets promoted.

Don’t try to “fix the culture.”

That’s code for “die slowly.”

Instead:

• Set hard boundaries
• Leave a trail of impact in writing
• Document everything

You’re not stuck.

You’re in the wrong game.

If you don’t learn the system, the system will decide for you.

If you know you’re capable of more but tired of toxic games, I built the Top Tech Leader for you. Learn more ↓ 

https://lnkd.in/gHSYuJrv

The higher you climb, the fewer people can tell you the truth.

At Senior, everyone praises your decisions.
At Staff, they start copying them.
At Principal, they stop challenging them.

That silence feels like respect.
It’s actually your next ceiling forming.

If no one pushes back, you’ve stopped growing.

Need help?
 
Enroll in the Top Engineer Method. 

I built it from my experience growing engineers at Microsoft, SAP, Walmart and through personalized coaching. 

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gMGfmVas

Challenge is what keeps your trajectory alive.

Engineers say they hate DSA.

“It’s irrelevant.”
“It’s academic.”
“No one uses red-black trees at work.”

Bullsh*t.

You do not hate DSA.
You hate what it makes you feel.

Slow.
Stupid.
Exposed.

It drags you into problems where you cannot hide behind frameworks.

Where your fancy IDE does not save you.
Where the question does not care about your title, your tech stack, or your years of experience.

And suddenly you are alone with the voice.

“You are not good enough.”
“You have been faking it.”
“Everyone else figured this out years ago.”

So you avoid it.
Or mock it.
Or treat it like a ritual for insecure overachievers.

Engineers blame DSA because blaming themselves is too painful.

Because admitting you feel behind is heavier than any algorithm.

Because if you say it out loud, you have to do something about it.

You’re scared.

Scared that you’ve plateaued.
Scared that you’ll try and still fail.
Scared that your edge is gone.

Here is the reality:

You do not sharpen a knife on bread.
You sharpen it against steel.

Most of your day is soft.
Setters. Getters. API glue.
Tickets that keep you busy but never really test you.

DSA is not for the job.
It is for the edge.
For the part of you that still wants to be dangerous.

You do not have to love it.
You have to stop hiding from it.

Because that shame you keep dodging?
That is where the growth lives.

The edge is in you.

But only if you are willing to bleed a little.

If you're ready to stop hiding and start facing challenges, enroll in the Top Engineer Method.

I built it from years of training engineers at Microsoft, SAP, and startups into the kind of talent others can’t ignore.

Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gMGfmVas

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.
Follow Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis for leadership frameworks that work in real life.

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
➕ Follow me (Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis) for more

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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Many professionals believe success comes from working endlessly.

They push through exhaustion, isolation, and burnout…
because they think there’s no other path.

Been there for good!

Until I read the Fortune article “My $2.25 billion exit taught me that Silicon Valley’s obsession with 100-hour weeks is actually sabotage.”


Understood that all want the same things:
Security. Appreciation. Growth.

But effort alone doesn’t create any of them.

The market doesn’t reward:
→ Early mornings
→ Long hours
→ Constant busyness

The market rewards:
→ Rare skills
→ Unique value
→ Meaningful impact

And above all, it rewards:
• Your specific knowledge
• Your character

Both are impossible to copy 
- that's the staff that makes you hard to replace.

Here’s the mindset shift to unlock real growth:

1. Understand: You’re paid for impact, not effort
2. Treat hard work as a foundation, not a differentiator
3. Ask better questions to maximize your value

Questions like:
→ What problem can I solve that others can’t or won’t?
→ What expertise do I have that’s uncommon?
→ What can I do in hours that take weeks?

Don’t chase pay for your time.
Build value that earns a premium.

Become that person they can’t afford to lose.

♻️ Repost if you agree
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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
➕ Follow Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis for leadership & career growth courage

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
➕ Follow Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis for practical leadership insights.

Many managers get the title.

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
➕ Follow Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis for leadership frameworks that actually work

Many managers rise to the top.

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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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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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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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?

♻️ 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
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Greatness is misunderstood before it’s praised.

AI is rewriting the narrative of experience. We are all new to this. 

Why not hire for the 
- willingness to learn 
- curiosity 
- entrepreneurship 
and the intention to deliver? 

For decades, experience has been the gold standard. 
But in an era where AI rewrites workflows, tools, 
and even entire job descriptions overnight…

And this will only keep coming in waves in every sector. 
Rewriting the rules every few years,
in ways even the smartest of us can't predict.

👉 The most valuable experience now is
how recently someone learned something new.

Beginner's mindset is coming up huge. 
 
We’re all beginners again
- in different ways 
- at different speeds
but beginners nonetheless.

So why not shift the lens?

✅ Hire for willingness to learn 
over years listed on a résumé

✅ Prioritize curiosity and experimentation 
than over-fitted experience

✅ Value integrity, resilience, and intent to deliver
Tomorrow's path will never be clear again

A fresh perspective isn’t just “nice to have”
— it’s becoming a strategic advantage.

And character? 

That’s the one thing AI can’t replicate nor replace.

Get future-ready. 
Get ready to unlearn, relearn, and grow.

❗ What do you think? Am I missing something? 🤔

Image Credit: John Sanders
➕ Follow me (Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis) for more

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The Battle

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