The Big Idea

At Level 10, your speed no longer comes from how quickly the company can ship software. It comes from how fast the company can move through influence, trust, and access. You’re not improving delivery pipelines anymore. You’re improving the quality and availability of the company’s external leverage—through the right boards, the right rooms, and the right relationships.

This is about earning time—not saving it. The people you surround the company with now shape how fast decisions get made, who returns your calls, and what your next move unlocks.

You Know You’re Struggling When

• You’re still spending most of your time inside the org, not outside it.
• Board meetings are status updates instead of strategic sessions.
• You can’t name more than one external relationship that changed the company’s trajectory this year.
• Your personal network isn’t growing—because you’re too busy to maintain it.
• You’re still the one “asking for help,” but rarely the one being asked.

You’re stuck inside the building while the real pace-setters are outside it.

Ideal State

You’ve built a tight, high-trust network around the company—and you use it wisely. You help shape board conversations before the meetings ever start. You’ve earned enough trust that people outside the company ask what you think before they move.

You bring in insight and opportunities the company wouldn’t get without you. Your network isn’t just wide—it’s relevant and responsive. And when it’s time to move fast, you know exactly who to call.

Speed at this level isn’t about throughput. It’s about access and alignment.

Closing the Gap

1. Rethink your time. Treat external relationship-building as work, not extracurricular. Block time for it—and defend it.
2. Shape the board, don’t just serve it. Influence the agenda. Share early drafts. Use prep calls to align on big questions, not just updates.
3. Cultivate signal-rich peers. Build relationships with other execs at your level or above. Avoid echo chambers. You want people who challenge your thinking.
4. Be the one who connects others. Share deals, candidates, insights. People trust and remember those who help them move faster too.
5. Track leverage. Look back quarterly. Which external connections changed something? If the list is short, the work is clear.