Cobalt Connect: Issue 7
Flight delays: inevitable.
Leadership change: unstoppable!
I’ve been back on the road, meeting teams who are shifting gears, and sometimes direction, in search of the right talent. Leadership teams are evolving, hiring needs are becoming more complex, and levels of candidate interest seem to be generally waning. The definition of what makes someone truly great in a senior role has never been more nuanced. Or more interesting.
We’ve launched 10 new searches since our last newsletter across finance, operations, strategy, and growth. We’ve placed several ‘A’ Players into pivotal leadership positions, including a COO who is now driving transformation across five countries, and a CHRO who was hired not for their HR depth, but for their ability to unite a fragmented leadership team.
The pace has quickened, but one thing remains steady: every single client we’ve worked with this year came to us through referral. That’s something we never take for granted.
In this issue, we’re diving into three trends shaping leadership hiring right now: clarity, composure, and the courage to choose the non-obvious hire.
Clarity Is the New Currency – Why calm, clear leaders are thriving in a noisy world
In a fast-moving market, clarity is more valuable than showmanship. The most effective leaders we are placing this year aren’t the ones with the slickest pitch or the most polished pedigree. They’re the ones who bring focus, calm, and most importantly clarity to complex and evolving environments.
These leaders don’t just make decisions; they create momentum. They simplify and they reduce noise. They provide a centre of gravity that others naturally align around. And in doing so, they create cultures where people can think clearly and act confidently.
We’ve seen this play out again and again. A private equity-backed logistics firm was struggling to align their board and ops team. They weren’t short on expertise; they were short on unity. We placed a COO with a background in defence and aerospace. Not an obvious match on paper, but someone with a track record of building alignment under pressure. Within six months, they’d rebuilt trust, clarified priorities, and helped the business regain momentum.
In 2025, clarity isn’t just a leadership trait; it’s a strategic advantage.
Hiring Beyond the Obvious – Why bold beats obvious in today’s talent market
We’re in an era where the traditional markers of “qualified” don’t guarantee success. The best hires we’ve seen this year are the ones who don’t tick every box, but who bring something catalytic to the table.
One client, a rapidly scaling consumer brand, had narrowed their CEO shortlist to two candidates. One had the perfect résumé. The other had taken two career pivots, was currently leading a non-profit, and had never worked in their industry. But they brought something the other candidate didn’t: clarity of vision, cultural energy, and a deep sense of purpose.
The board made a brave call. Three months in, the new CEO has increased team engagement, brought sharper discipline to the commercial strategy, and is already reshaping the leadership culture.
Too often, businesses default to hiring “what worked last time” or hiring someone in their own image. There’s that well known saying “Keep doing what you’ve always done, and you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got”. And that’s what will happen when your remit is to find someone with the same title, from the same industry, from the same kind of business. Transformation doesn’t come from playing it safe. It comes from choosing people who will elevate the business, who will bring fresh perspective and look at things from a different viewpoint, not just replicate what’s familiar.
Our advice? Be open to the leftfield. Seek out a leader who will change the game.
Composure vs. Charisma – What clients are asking for in high-pressure hires
There’s been a noticeable shift in what our clients are prioritising. Where once they asked for presence, polish, and “gravitas”, they’re now asking for leaders who create safety, build trust, and stay grounded under pressure.
Composure is the new executive currency.
These leaders don’t rattle easily. They don’t dominate meetings. They don’t need to have the loudest voice in the room. But they’re the ones people turn to when the stakes are high because they bring consistency, calm, and credibility.
One recent example: a global engineering firm was hiring a new Program Director to lead a complex, multi-stakeholder infrastructure project. Technical competence was a given. What they needed was someone who could hold the centre, who would unite contractors, manage risk, and maintain a steady tone when timelines got squeezed.
We found them a seasoned operations leader with experience in defence and transport. Not the most obvious candidate, but exactly the right one. Six weeks in, they’ve calmed tensions, rebuilt trust, and brought a level of predictability that’s been missing for months.
Charisma can inspire. But composure builds confidence. And right now, that’s what most leadership teams need.
Quick Hits: What We’re Seeing in the Market
Here’s what’s coming up again and again in leadership hiring:
1) ’A’ Players with Range Are Winning
“Deep expertise still counts, but what really sets candidates apart is their ability to adapt, work across departments, and influence people outside their immediate team”
2) Boards Are Asking Better Questions
“Will this person raise the bar?” is becoming a more frequent question than “Are they qualified?”
3) Cultural Alignment Is Critical
Not just in values, but in working tempo, decision-making style, and communication rhythm. It’s the glue that makes senior teams effective, and it’s the reason we invest so much in cultural assessments and diagnostics.
4) Mid-Year Recalibration Is in Full Swing
Many companies are adjusting org charts, growth plans, and leadership team makeup right now, especially in founder-led businesses and private equity portfolio firms.
If you’re in the middle of that kind of shift, we’d be happy to share examples or help map out what “next” might look like for your team.
A Personal Note…
We’ve officially been in our new office for two months now, and it’s already become a space we love – quiet, light-filled, and set in the Oxfordshire countryside. It’s a small thing, but it’s helped our team work even more cohesively.
And on a more personal note… two members of the Cobalt team got hitched!
Steve and I tied the knot in London on 22 June, after 21 years together and two wonderful daughters. It was a day full of joy, and we’re still smiling. We’ve just returned from a business trip to Montana to see one of our key clients, Easton Concrete. While there we took a weekend to honeymoon, and it was somewhat peaceful, unbelievably scenic, and wildly different from our usual rhythm.
Cobalt remains 100% referral-led, which is something I am genuinely proud of. Every search we’ve taken on this year has come from someone we’ve worked with before, either as a client or candidate. That’s not a pipeline. That’s a community.
Here are a few of our latest placements:
Chief Commercial Officer – Consumer Goods (UK & US)
COO – Logistics & Warehousing (Texas)
VP, Corporate Strategy – Private Equity-backed Tech (California)
CHRO – Multi-site Healthcare (US Midwest)
Bid Director – Transportation (Boston)
VP Operations – Cosmetic Dentistry (California)
If you know someone who’s building their team in the second half of this year, I’d love to speak with them. And yes, our referral program is still running so whether you’d prefer a thank-you gift or a donation to a charity close to your heart, we would be very happy to oblige.
Here’s to clarity, composure, and bold hires that shape the future.
Warmly,
Helen