Executive Careers with Fexingo · 2026-07-26 · 8 min
In this episode of Executive Careers with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore a powerful but underutilized strategy for senior leaders evaluating a new role: the pre-employment listening tour. They break down how a former Fortune 500 CFO spent two weeks meeting with mid-level managers, suppliers, and even a former employee before accepting a CEO position at a mid-cap company. Lucas explains the three-part framework: map the informal power structure, test the gap between stated values and lived behavior, and evaluate whether the board truly backs the CEO. Luna shares a counterexample from her own experience that went wrong when she skipped the listening phase. The hosts also discuss how to propose a listening tour without alarming the hiring team, what to look for in off-the-record conversations, and why this tactic is especially critical for leaders transitioning into a new industry or a privately-held firm where Glassdoor reviews are thin.
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