In this episode, Sam and Taavo from CEO Advantage return to dive into the 5X CEO Assessment—a diagnostic tool developed from two years of research into top-performing private equity-backed CEOs who delivered 5x+ MOIC.

The conversation explores how the 5X model—comprised of Strategic Clarity, Scalable Talent, Relentless Focus, Disciplined Execution, and Energized Culture—is used not just as a conceptual framework, but as a practical tool to evaluate and upgrade leadership team performance.

🔑 Key Discussion Points

▶ 5X Model Overview

• Built from studying CEOs with 5x+ returns
• Five components: Strategic Clarity, Scalable Talent, Relentless Focus, Disciplined Execution, Energized Culture

▶ How the Assessment Works

• Each component includes 10–12 statements to rate by importance and performance
• Includes open-ended responses for actionable feedback
• Results are color-coded (Red-Yellow-Green) for fast clarity and prioritization
• Used with leadership teams and optionally with boards or PE partners

▶ Strategic Clarity

• Aligning the CEO, leadership, and board on the value creation plan
• Communicating strategy throughout the organization—down to the receptionist
• The role of repetition in embedding strategy (11x rule)

▶ Energized Culture

• Holding people accountable for behavior, not just results
• Measuring employee engagement and culture with data (e.g. eNPS)
• Example: CEOs who stack-rank team collaboration to highlight friction and teamwork

▶ Scalable Talent

• Focus on A-players in critical value-driving roles, not just execs
• Using 9-box performance vs. potential models, shared with boards
• CEOs with strong HR leaders outperform—talent as a strategic function

▶ Relentless Focus

• Simplifying execution to “do now, do next, don’t do”
• Avoiding shiny object syndrome and internal distraction
• Ensuring alignment on key initiatives and managing PE firm inputs

▶ Disciplined Execution

• Tracking both leading and lagging KPIs tied to the value creation plan
• Establishing a management cadence and operating system
• Example: AI-driven measurement of customer conversations to boost growth
• Tying metrics directly into compensation and incentive systems

▶ How PE Firms Use the Tool

• As part of diligence or onboarding of new CEOs
• To drive annual CEO performance reviews
• To create a shared language between CEOs and sponsors on team performance

📘 Resources Mentioned

• Book: The 5X CEO – Available on Amazon and Audible
• The Private Equity Playbook series by Adam Coffey
• Move by Sandy Ogg (Talent to Value)
• Works by Patrick Lencioni on leadership and clarity

🌐 Learn more about the 5X model and CEO Advantage at www.AdvantageCEO.com

Raw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.

🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/

🌐 Visit Raw Selection: www.raw-selection.com

Looking to grow your team? Check out our Hiring Guides

for proven strategies, templates, and best practices to make smarter hires.

In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Tim Schulte, Value Creation Partner at Council Capital, a Nashville-based private equity firm investing in healthcare businesses across tech-enabled services, outsourced services, and provider platforms.

Tim brings a unique blend of consulting, operational, and investing experience. He shares how Council Capital drives value creation through collaboration, leadership development, and a structured yet flexible approach to talent and operations.

🔑 Key Highlights:

00:00 – Introduction
Tim’s background: consulting → startup growth → private equity. At Council for 6+ years, focused on scaling healthcare companies.

01:15 – Common Mistake in PE
Reinventing the wheel. Tim advocates for leveraging shared knowledge and collaboration across portfolio companies instead of starting from scratch.

02:12 – Three PE Value Creation Models
Tim outlines three styles:

1. Collaborative but shallow
2. Substantive but rigid
3. Collaborative and substantive – Council Capital’s approach

03:37 – Collaboration in Practice
Council’s CEO Council is made up of 30+ senior leaders who are both advisors and investors. Their involvement creates mentorship and alignment without top-down pressure.

05:02 – Council’s Value Creation Team
A large internal team supports portfolio companies with tailored toolkits (not rigid playbooks) across growth, ops, and talent.

06:11 – Hiring Top Executives
Talent is central to value creation. Council uses:

• Topgrading
• Aptitude & personality assessments
• In-depth referencing
• Case studies
  ...to ensure fit and long-term success.

09:05 – Role of Assessments
Assessments aren’t used to screen candidates out, but to guide interview questions and identify fit. Council tracks data across hundreds of hires to correlate traits with performance.

12:27 – Broader Talent Support
Beyond the C-suite, Council helps portfolio teams:

• Implement HR tech
• Refine hiring processes
• Improve onboarding
• Structure incentive plans

14:38 – First 100 Days for CEOs
New CEOs are expected to:

1. Align on strategy
2. Build out the right team
3. Ensure reliable data systems to track performance

16:58 – Recommended Resources
Tim recommends:

• Acquired – for business case studies
• Founders – for leadership traits & human stories

17:52 – Connect with Tim Schulte
Best via LinkedIn or at Council Capital

Raw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.

🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/
🌐 Visit Raw Selection: www.raw-selection.com

Looking to grow your team? Check out our Hiring Guides

for proven strategies, templates, and best practices to make smarter hires.

🎧 Guest: Maxwell Nee – Chairman, Family Office Insider & Managing Partner, Black Mountain Capital
🌍 Episode Theme: 10X Deals, Market Gaps & Global Investing

In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Maxwell Nee to explore how thinking bigger—10X bigger—can simplify investing and unlock outsized returns. Maxwell shares his 3-leg framework for identifying high-potential opportunities and dives into emerging trends across waste-to-value, renewables, and infrastructure.

You’ll hear about:

• What 10X deals really mean and why they’re often easier to execute
• The 3 key components of any game-changing opportunity
• Turning waste (like avocado seeds or Guinness beer) into profits
• Where Maxwell is putting capital now: mining, energy, biofuels
• How family offices differ from traditional PE firms
• Lessons from global dealmaking and the role of geopolitics

⏱️ Time Stamps:

00:00 – Intro to Maxwell Nee
01:00 – Founding Family Office Insider during COVID
02:30 – Common PE mistakes: overextension, distraction
04:00 – What makes a 10X deal
07:00 – The 3-leg framework: Market Gap, Team, Funding
08:30 – Real examples: bioplastics, energy, solar
11:00 – Investing globally & understanding country strengths
18:50 – PE vs. Family Office mindsets
21:00 – Book recs: How to Make a Few Billion Dollars, Time is a Tool
22:30 – Connect with Maxwell on LinkedIn

Raw Selection partners with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies to secure exceptional executive talent. We focus on de-risking executive recruitment through meticulous search and selection processes, ensuring top-tier performance and long-term success.

🔗 Connect with Alex Rawlings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrawlings/
🌐 Visit Raw Selection: www.raw-selection.com

Looking to grow your team? Check out our Hiring Guides

for proven strategies, templates, and best practices to make smarter hires.