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(It starts with empathy.) By Austin Shaw Ask 10 people to define executive presence and you’ll hear the usual suspects: → Confidence  → Charisma  → Gravitas  → Poise But here’s the truth: Executive presence isn’t a surface skill — it’s an emotional one. It’s about showing up in a way that inspires trust, connection, and composure — especially under pressure. As Forbes  puts it, executive presence is “the ability to project confidence, authority, and credibility in interacti

By Austin Shaw Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse. Sometimes it looks like quiet resentment. Like snapping at a teammate. Or...

By Austin Shaw The move from VP to Principal is one of the most misunderstood transitions in private equity. At VP, you’re expected to run deals. At Principal, you’re expected to lead—internally and externally. That leap isn’t about doing more. It’s about showing the firm you’re already operating at the next level. Here’s where most smart VPs get stuck: Focusing on the work instead of the outcomes Not mentoring or managing the team below them Expecting recognition to come aut

By Austin Shaw By the time you’re up for MD/Partner, your ability to execute is no longer in question. You’ve led deals, built theses,...

By Austin Shaw At some point, nearly every high performer asks the question: “Am I wasting my time in this job?” It’s a question that...

You’ve worked hard your entire life. Made all the right decisions, or at least most of them, and you did it! You’ve made it into the...

Ten years ago, if you were given an executive coach it was a bad omen. The kiss of death. You were under the microscope and potentially a...

We’ve all worked with a jerk (aka difficult colleague). Maybe it’s a toxic, coercive boss whose sole job, it seems...

The first step is to identify your Gremlin. Where is he from? When did she first appear? Was there one life event that sticks out to...

I splashed water on my face. The bathroom was empty, and cold. I looked in the mirror, about to give the biggest pitch of my career and...