LinkedIn just changed the game again. They announced a new AI-powered people search that lets users type what they actually think, not rigid keywords. Searches like: 💬 “Leaders who have M&A experience in healthcare” 💬 “Operations managers who scaled teams from 20 to 200 people” 💬 “Professionals who led digital transformation inside Fortune 500 companies” 💬 “Marketing leaders with go-to-market experience in B2B SaaS” 💬 “Consultants who specialize in organizational change” This shift means your profile needs to read the way people talk. Natural. Clear. Intent-driven. So I updated my own About section today to reflect that. Here’s the exact line I added: If you’re looking for someone who can help you optimize your LinkedIn profile, clarify your personal brand, strengthen your executive presence, or position yourself for board roles and next-level opportunities, this is where I shine. I help leaders tell their story in a way that gets them found, trusted, and sought after. Simple. Human. Search-friendly. It makes it easier for LinkedIn’s AI to match me with the people who are actively looking for what I do every day. You don’t need to rewrite your whole profile. Start with one line that mirrors the way people would look for someone like you. If you help companies strengthen Investor Relations, say that. If you help leaders drive business transformation, say that. If you help founders launch products, say that. As LinkedIn evolves, clarity wins. If you want help tightening your About section or making sure you show up in these new searches, my team and I can help you get it right. Message me!

Discover the right people faster—no limits, powered by AI. Effective today, LinkedIn introduces AI-powered people search for premium subscribers, enabling them to identify the right individuals more efficiently.

🔍 Is this really a breakthrough — one that begins by quietly and unceremoniously deprecating the 𝗞𝗘𝗬𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗦 Search feature? That was one of LinkedIn’s most effective tools for helping professionals find and connect with the right people. Now it’s gone — intentionally, as LinkedIn Support confirmed after several months — part of a planned but unannounced deprecation, not a bug. Both premium and non-premium users have lost access to it, without any clear communication. And these new “AI-powered” long-sentence prompts - typing “Who can help me file my taxes in New York?” or “Product managers who were formerly consultants at Bain” feel more like talking to a chatbot than doing a real, targeted professional search. The old KEYWORDS feature let us be precise, efficient, and in control — this feels like the opposite. If this is truly a game-changing breakthrough, why start by removing a feature that professionals relied on every day? Curious — has anyone else found the new AI search actually more useful in practice?

Please stop using the phrase, "soft skills." In my world, and the world of most leaders I work with, those "soft skills" happen to be, "critical skills." Recently, Jon Gray, president and COO of Blackstone, recently told employees: “Most of you went to elite universities. You did really well, you were in the top of your class. You are people who are successful by nature and hardworking,” Gray said in a video posted to his LinkedIn account. “But when I look around at the people who truly succeeded at Blackstone, it’s not the ‘good enough’ crowd, right? It’s the people who are like, hey, ‘I’m gonna make sure I get this absolutely right.’” This is so true. How you show up, whether you are a CEO, Director, Manager, or individual contributor, is everything. Some of the brightest and most innovative have failed because of presence...their presence. This critical skill alone can not only help launch the brightest into success but can also take the average and make them great. We have all worked with that person. So don't wait any longer. Fine tune your motivation, your passion, your cognitive abilities, by improving your executive presence. It is a game changer. Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee

He didn’t start as a marketer, he started as an engineer, explored philosophy, lectured, founded a company, and only later did an MBA help him connect the dots. That’s Utkarsh Amitabh, Founder at Network Capital, sharing lessons for young marketers navigating careers, creativity, and the changing world of work. His journey isn’t linear, it’s intentional experimentation: trying different roles, exploring disciplines, and learning by doing. Every experience became a stepping stone to understanding people, markets, and strategy. On Marketing Mavericks, he shared insights that go beyond titles or degrees: -Education isn’t a shortcut. MBA or not, what matters is learning deliberately, studying history, understanding markets, and using current trends to find your unique value. -Don’t chase hustle, chase clarity. Stress doesn’t equal effectiveness. Work smart, explore, rest when needed, and focus on the right problems. -Build your category of one. Combine disciplines, embrace curiosity, and create a unique perspective that sets you apart, specialists, generalists, or hybrids all have a path. -Community is your compass. Surround yourself with people who support you. One or two smart bets over a decade matter more than constant pressure to get everything perfect. -AI is a tool, not a replacement. Your craft, storytelling, strategy, insights, remains human. Technology amplifies it but can’t replace curiosity, judgement, or context. What stayed with me most: careers aren’t built by following a formula. They’re built by experimenting, learning, and giving yourself space to grow. Grateful to Utkarsh for a conversation that’s part philosophy, part strategy, and all about staying thoughtful in a fast-moving world. #MarketingMavericks #CareerLessons #MarketingStrategy #CreativeIntegrity #AIinMarketing #ContinuousLearning

CXOs, Founders, Partners at PE / VC firms are juggling 20+ tasks and still seem to have time for fitness, family, and hobbies, while junior employees often struggle to find that balance. The reason is simple - agency. When I was at Bain, every decision ran through two filters: 1. Do I want to do this? 2. Will my manager / company be fine if I do this? As a founder, I have complete agency. Sending a lunch invite to a Fortune 500 Director? Spending an hour convincing a friend to join Bolna? Going for a mid-day run? I can do it without overthinking how it affects my “career”. That’s the power of agency - it creates space for intentional action, not just compliance. As an employee, if you're doing great work and have earned trust, you’ve built the leverage to demand agency. And once you have it, you’ll realise that career growth and personal growth aren’t competing goals - they’re deeply aligned.

The best opportunities hide at industry intersections. Most people network in their own lane: 🚶 Marketers connect with marketers 🚶 Engineers connect with engineers But magic happens at collisions: ✨ Healthcare + AI = MedTech innovation ✨ Finance + Education = FinLit platforms ✨ Retail + Sustainability = Circular economy plays Your network data shows these overlaps—if you know where to look. Example: One exec I analyzed had: 📊 60% connections in biotech 📊 15% in software 📊 10% in venture capital The goldmine? That 10% VC overlap opened board advisory roles she never saw coming. Where are YOUR hidden collisions? Check your Connections.csv by industry. Look for the 5-15% outliers. That's where opportunity lives.

Finding your edge as a generalist When I was between my first and second COO roles, a very wise person gave me advice I didn’t fully understand at the time: “Figure out what your unique edge is.” Back then I thought my track record should speak for itself. But now I do get it. It’s not enough to be brilliant and hope that someone will notice you. You have to show people why and how you’re brilliant. And tell them what you can bring to their company or their role. Being brilliant and marketing your brilliance are two totally different skills. You can be exceptional at your job but still find it hard to pitch your value, because that’s not the muscle you’ve spent your career building. I used to tell my team: “It’s not enough to be great at your job. You have to be SEEN to be great at your job.” That means sharing what you’re working on, talking about the customers you're impacting, metrics you're driving, and letting people see your strengths. The same goes when you’re positioning yourself for your next role. You need to find your edge. That unique mix of experience and capability that makes you completely one-of-a-kind in a crowded market. Here are a few ways to start thinking about it 👇 - Type of company: “I take companies from Series A to Series B.” - Industry depth: “I bring deep experience in fintech / healthtech / climate.” - Niche experience: “I’ve taken a company through an acquisition or into a new market.” - Hard skills: “I’m a generalist who really understands finance, RevOps, or customer success.” - Soft skills: “I’m a generalist who builds culture and brings leadership teams together.” If you’re still figuring out how to talk about your edge, I’d love to chat 💬 DM me or book a quick discovery call via the link in my profile.

Stay curious, find common ground, and never say "I don't disagree, but": the 'smarter way to disagree'. https://lnkd.in/e9B6g67p Working through disagreements in opinion for me is one of the biggest opportunities for companies looking to make the right decisions. Colleagues having a conversation about an area of diasgreement has such huge potential to change the course of the company for the better. Without alignment, the cost of riding roughshod over the other or worse still going off in different directions is massive in terms of wasted time and resource. The advice in this article around finding common ground to enable a constructive conversation and staying curious about the data points that have led the other to reach a different conclusion could be real game-changers. And know you're fooling noone by starting a dialogue with "I don't disagree, but", before going on to articulate all the many reason why you disagree...

The landscape is shifting - and so is opportunity. Tech and finance roles may be fewer, but Gen Z’s drive to adapt, upskill, and explore new industries keeps the door wide open. 💪 The next big break might not look like yesterday’s - and that’s exciting. Discover more insights here: https://lnkd.in/gA6FJ9Ka