In this episode, I sit down with Alain Bejjani, former Group CEO of Majid Al Futtaim, one of the largest conglomerates in the Middle East operating multi-billion dollar businesses across retail, real estate, and entertainment.We break down what actually happens when companies scale — and why most leaders unknowingly become the biggest bottleneck in their own organization.This is not theory. This is how leadership, decision-making, culture, and power really work inside a $10B+ company.We cover:
Why founders and executives become bottlenecks
The real role of leadership vs governance
Centralization vs decentralization (and when each fails)
Why office politics are unavoidable
How great CEOs think about talent, performance, and potential
What actually destroys large companies
If you're a founder, product leader, or operator — this will change how you think about leadership.⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Intro: Leading at $10B scale01:00 – Startups vs conglomerates: what really changes04:30 – The leadership bottleneck problem07:30 – “Your business is not your baby”10:30 – Incentives: salary vs equity13:15 – The reality of office politics15:10 – Centralization vs empowerment20:20 – How CEOs allocate capital29:20 – Hiring, promotion & CEO judgment32:45 – What destroys companies
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