Leadership Quotient
Leadership Quotient, powered by The Crucible, explores the people side of private equity—how operating partners, portfolio executives, and advisors build, align, and scale leadership teams. Each episode offers candid conversations from across the PE ecosystem on the strategies, challenges, and decisions that drive value creation.
Episodes
27 episodes
The Clock Is Ticking: Leadership in PE-Backed Companies
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Andy Drummond, Founder of ShireGrowth Partners, joins The Crucible CEO Lindsay Guzowski to explore what leadership requires when time is finite and the clock is always ticking in private equit...
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Episode 27
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35:20
Backing Women: What Investors Miss and How to Fix It
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Hanim Dogan, Partner at Prime Advantage Capital Partners, angel investor, and venture partner, shares why enabling more female founders is both a leadership imperative and a value ...
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Episode 26
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29:32
Empathy at Scale: Keeping the Customer at the Center
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, David Norton, Managing Director at Gale Partners, shares why empathy is one of the most underrated leadership strengths and how customer-centered thinking becomes a competitive advantag...
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Episode 25
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25:01
The Right Way Is the Only Way: What Great CFOs Teach Leaders
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Jeff Glick, Head of U.S. Operations at Outsourced CFO (OCFO), shares why in investor-backed environments “the right way is the only way” and how financial rigor becomes a leadership adv...
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Episode 24
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25:03
Atoms Over Algorithms: Why the Future of Venture Is Physical
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Deborah Magid, Co-Founder and Managing Director at NextStar Venture Partners, shares why leadership is ultimately defined by the opportunities you create for other people—and why trust ...
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Episode 23
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34:03
Always Asking for the Ball: A Trader’s Guide to Leadership
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Michael Frank, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Gildre, shares how a career on the trading floor shaped his leadership philosophy and why the habits that create success in markets tra...
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Episode 22
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33:47
The Mirror of Entrepreneurship: What PE Talent Reveals About Leadership
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Henry Myers, Co-Founder and Managing Director at High Water Search, shares why entrepreneurship is one of the clearest mirrors for leadership and what that reveals about talent in priva...
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Episode 21
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41:35
Beyond the CV: Rethinking CFO Search in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Neil French, Co-Founder & Director at STOIX, shares why the executive search industry needs a more iconoclastic, evidence-driven approach—especially in private equity. Drawing on hi...
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Episode 20
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36:13
From Blank Canvas to Exit: Leading People Through Change in Founder-Led Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Anderson Williams, Talent Development Principal at Shore Capital Partners, shares why sustainable value creation in founder-led private equity depends less on spreadsheets and more on h...
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Episode 19
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34:26
Data Over Debate: Why the Next Wave of PE Value Creation Is Digital
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Lee McCabe, Partner at Claymore Partners, shares why the future of value creation in private equity depends on planning for talent early, fixing the broken operating partner model, and ...
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Episode 18
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37:05
You Can’t Buy Culture: Capability Transfer and Leadership in PE-Backed Change
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Don Purdon, Director of Transformation, Operating Models, Organization Design, and Business Change at Purdon & Associates, shares why sustainable value creation in investor-backed c...
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Episode 17
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40:41
Clarity Over Chaos: Building Boardroom-Ready Revenue Leaders in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, John Lepto, CRO at Chamberlain Advisors and Senior Advisor at Clear Go-To-Market, shares why the next generation of value creation in private equity will be led by operator-minded, data...
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Episode 16
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37:41
Flexible Capital, Durable Talent: Building Leadership Teams for the Long Game in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Heath Hunter, Managing Director at the Broadview Group, shares how combining private equity discipline with permanent and flexible capital changes the way investors build businesses and...
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Episode 15
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36:37
From NASA to the Middle Market: Engineering Effective Cultures in Private Equity-Backed Companies
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Dr. Phillip Meade, COO of Gallaher Edge, shares why the difference between a “good” culture and an effective culture can be the difference between success and catastrophe. Drawing from ...
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Episode 14
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36:41
Attributes Over Experience: Developing Adaptive Leaders in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Dan Cremons, Founder of Accelera Partners and the Ascend PE Executive Accelerator, shares why the future of leadership in private equity depends less on experience and more on ...
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Episode 13
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42:50
Curiosity and Grit: Building Leaders Who Learn Fast in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Matt Young, Operating Executive at North Equity, shares how unconventional paths can create exceptional leaders in private equity. From journalist to documentary filmmaker to g...
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Episode 12
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33:18
From Deals to Decisions: The Human Side of Private Equity Leadership
Private equity is often described in the language of numbers — returns, multiples, and margins. But as Mohamad Chahine, author of Private Equity Next and Operating Partner at Meritrium OmniVentures, reveals, true value creation ...
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Episode 11
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49:52
Trust and Curiosity: The New Edge of Leadership in Private Equity and Venture Capital
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Jeff Tobin, Founder and Managing Partner of AscendX Group, shares how trust, alignment, and urgency shape leadership across Private Equity and Venture Capital. Drawing o...
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Episode 10
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36:52
Alignment and Accountability: Building True Partnerships in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Nick Moscaritolo, Managing Director of Portfolio Company Operations at Platte River Equity, shares how alignment, partnership, and accountability form the foundation of ...
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Episode 9
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38:05
Beyond the Pizza Party: Making Leadership Assessment a Value Lever in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Max Salazar, Senior Vice President & Head of Executive Assessment at AlixPartners, shares how rigorous leadership assessment and cultural due diligence can transform talent f...
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Episode 8
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30:23
Context Over Credentials: Building Leadership That Delivers in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Keith Giarman, President of the Private Equity & Principal Investing Practice at DHR Global, shares how a context-first approach to talent selection drives value creation. Dr...
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Episode 7
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39:07
From Boardroom to Break Room: Turning Strategy into Results in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Tracey Abbott—global operator turned executive coach, founder of Leadership Current—shares how focus, culture, and curiosity accelerate value creation. From Kodak and Adidas to B...
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Episode 6
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37:42
Entrepreneurial Grit and Talent Strategy: High Performing Teams in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Rupal Patel, Operating Partner at Benford Capital, shares how her journey from CPA and Deloitte consultant to founder and CEO of a 100-employee advisory firm shaped her perspective on leadersh...
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Episode 5
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27:56
From Idea to Execution: Building Strong Teams in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Rob Levin, Managing Director and Founder at CIS Ventures, shares how execution is people-powered and why fit for stage matters as much as skills. From diligencing culture and ali...
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Episode 4
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45:42
Bridging the Gap: Interim Leadership and Culture in Private Equity
In this episode of the Leadership Quotient Podcast, Dave Haslam, Head of Talent at ETONIEN, shares his perspective on the unique role of interim executives in private equity. From stepping into leadership gaps during times of transition to bala...
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Episode 3
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32:13