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Profit Insights
Profit Insights is the podcast for Private Equity professionals who want sharper thinking on the decisions that protect and grow enterprise value.
Hosted by Alex Franklin, founder of Ithaca Cyber Security and Penpole, a specialist healthcare digital transformation consultancy, each episode will give actionable takeaways from the worlds of Private Equity, Cyber Security, and Operational Excellence to deliver insight that adds value to your investment decisions and protects portfolio value.
From fractional CISO and DPO strategy to leadership frameworks, hiring decisions, and the business philosophy that separates elite organisations from the rest, Profit Insights covers the full spectrum of what it takes to maximise returns and manage risk in today's environment.
Episodes include in-depth interviews with industry leaders across Private Equity, Cyber Security, the NHS, and the NHS Supply Chain, alongside Penpole & Ithaca’s acclaimed written thought leadership, now brought to life in audio and video.
Whether you are a Operating Partner, Portfolio Company Executive, or investment professional navigating an increasingly complex risk landscape, Profit Insights gives you the frameworks, perspectives, and expert voices you need to make better decisions.
Subscribe now and visit ithacacybersecurity.com to find out how Alex and his teams can support you and your portfolio.
Profit Insights
Profit Insights #5: How to Become a Level 5 Leader
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What separates leaders who build enduring greatness from those who deliver only short-term results? In this episode, Alex Franklin explores Jim Collins' Level 5 Leadership framework, the paradoxical combination of personal humility and professional will that Collins identified as the primary differentiator in companies that sustained extraordinary performance over fifteen years. From Tim Cook quietly negotiating tariff exemptions to David Packard's law on hiring, this episode offers a compelling framework for anyone building or investing in great organisations.
Read the full article: ithacacybersecurity.com/how-to-become-a-level-5-leader
Work with Alex: ithacacybersecurity.com | penpole.co.uk
References and Further Reading
Collins, J. (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don't. Penguin Random House.
Rogan, J. (Host). (2025, February 28). #2281 – Elon Musk [Audio podcast episode]. In The Joe Rogan Experience. Spotify. open.spotify.com/episode/4OKO5j5RFCx5efek9XXlj3
Read all Profit Insights: https://www.ithacacybersecurity.com/insights/
Work with Alex: alex@ithacacybersecurity.com
penpole.co.uk | ithacacybersecurity.com