Rolodex.

 

But that’s exactly what legacy firms want you to think.

 

They sell prestige. They sell access. They sell fear. And some companies buy it—because no one wants to screw up a high-profile hire.

 

Here’s the truth: access is the easy part. Executives respond more than anyone. The real challenge? Fit. Immersion. Results after the hire. And most firms skip that part entirely.

 

Jeff Smith and James Hornick rip the curtain off the smoke-and-mirrors world of exec search—and explain why most firms are failing their clients (badly) in The 10 Minute Talent Rant, Episode 109, “What Everyone Gets Wrong About Executive Search.”