10 Lessons Learned

10 Lessons Learned We came together on this project when we were discussing how valuable the lessons that we now know w

19/06/2026

Thinking about accepting an international job offer? Don't let ego blind your due diligence. ✈️💼

When an overseas opportunity lands on your desk, it’s easy to look at it through "greed-colored goggles"—seeing only the bigger salary, the grand title, and the excitement of moving.

In the latest 10 Lessons Learned podcast, we shared a vulnerable, cautionary tale. Robert Hossary MBA accepted a US position in 2004 without checking his visa realities, resulting in a 3-year delay for his H-1 visa and waking up in a Texas motel room missing his family.

Before you hold onto an international career move with both hands, you must be your own advocate and check this list:

- The Trailing Spouse Factor: Is your partner legally eligible to work in the host country?
- Education: Do your children have access to appropriate schooling options?
- Visa Sovereignty: Are you relying entirely on what HR says, or have you done your own independent embassy research?

An international assignment can build a fantastic new life, but only if the logistics support the dream.

👇 Have you ever relocated for work? What is the one logistical hurdle you wish someone had warned you about beforehand? Tell us in the comments!

18/06/2026

Are you a citizen of your country, or a citizen of the world? 🗺️

Over 2,400 years ago, Socrates famously declared himself a "citizen of the world". In today's hyper-connected workplace dominated by global AI, climate challenges, and cross-border teams, that mindset is more critical than ever.

As Robert Hossary MBA pointed out in our latest 10 Lessons Learned episode, you don’t even have to board a plane to build global empathy. Becoming a global citizen is a conscious mindset shift:

It means actively educating yourself on cultural taboos and norms.
It means learning basic formalities (even just "hello" and "thank you") in your colleagues' native languages.
It means developing a deep respect for perspectives that differ from your own.

Exposure to international experiences ultimately teaches you more about yourself than it does about the geography.

👇 Let's start a discussion: In a world of remote work, how do you actively build cross-cultural empathy with virtual teams across the globe?

17/06/2026

BRAND NEW EPISODE LIVE NOW!!! https://10lessonslearned.com/latest-episode/

"Don't judge until you understand." In our latest episode, Siebe Van Der Zee shared this powerful piece of advice for anyone working in a cross-cultural environment.

When we step into a new country or manage a diverse team, it is human nature to make immediate judgments based on our own learned norms. We see how others dress, eat, or communicate and internally stamp it as "wrong".

But global success requires a mindset shift:

Awareness: Open your eyes and simply observe the differences.
Patience: Give yourself time to figure things out step-by-step.
Assimilation over Evaluation: Recognize that norms aren’t inherently superior or inferior—they’re just different.

Whether it's adjusting to driving on the left side of the road in London or adapting to dinner reservations that don't start until 9:00 PM in South America, true leaders pause before they judge.

👇 What about you? How do you practice patience and open-mindedness when collaborating with international colleagues? Share your strategies below!

16/06/2026

Does international experience really accelerate your career?
Is going global is the ultimate career booster?
What actually happens when the reality of cross-cultural work arrives?

In our latest special leadership episode of 10 Lessons Learned, hosts Diana White Siebe Van Der Zee and Robert Hossary MBA sat down to unpack the raw, unpolished truth about building an international career path.

From being confused by the variety of salt in an American supermarket to getting fired in South America for standing up for local employees, this episode dives into:

- The Culture Shock Matrix: Why differences are neither good nor bad—just different.
- The Expat Reality Check: Crucial family and visa factors professionals always learn the hard way.
- Global Empathy: How opening your passport truly opens your mind.

Are you ready to challenge your assumptions about global leadership? Get ready for our brand new episode this week.

👇 Drop a comment below: What is the single biggest culture shock you’ve ever experienced while working or traveling? Let’s talk!

15/06/2026

Most of us are chronic "fixers." When a colleague is stressed, a friend is down, or a team member is facing a roadblock, our brains immediately start drafting a checklist of advice.

But on a deeply moving episode of the 10 Lessons Learned podcast, former The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg editor Shani Raja shared a lesson that completely flips this instinct on its head: Stop trying to fix people. 🛑

Drawing from his profound personal journey and battle with terminal cancer, Shani reminds us that treating people like a puzzle to be solved often does more harm than good.

Here is why true leadership means letting go of the "fixer" identity:
- It’s usually about our own discomfort: We often try to fix a situation because witnessing someone else’s struggle makes us feel helpless. Fixing is an ego-driven attempt to regain control.

- It diminishes their unique journey: Every professional and personal struggle is part of an individual's unique path. When we step in to rewrite their narrative, we accidentally strip away their opportunity for growth.

- Presence is more powerful than a checklist: Real support doesn't look like an instruction manual. It looks like a calm, non-judgmental, loving presence that lets the other person feel entirely safe and heard.

The next time a peer or a team member opens up to you, resist the urge to jump to the rescue. Swap "Here is what you need to do" with "I'm right here with you."

👇 Let's open up the floor: How do you balance the urge to step in and solve a problem with the leadership discipline of just holding space for someone? Share your thoughts below!

14/06/2026

The biggest mistake professionals make during an interview? Negotiating the salary before the role. 🛑💵

When a hiring manager asks about your compensation expectations, your instinct might be to throw out a number. But according to resume and career strategist Fatemah Mirza on the 10 Lessons Learned podcast, doing this actually caps your leverage too early.

The secret to maximizing your value? Negotiate the scope of the role before you ever talk about dollars.

Here is why this shifts the power dynamic in your favor:

It uncovers the real KPIs: Job descriptions rarely tell the whole story. By asking, "What does success look like in the first 90 days?" you discover the true weight of the problems you're being hired to solve.

It expands the role's value: If you can demonstrate how your expertise expands the scope to solve a deeper business pain point, you naturally justify a completely different salary bracket.

It frames you as a consultant, not an applicant: You stop treating the conversation like a standard transaction and start treating it like a strategic business negotiation.

Don't lock yourself into a number until you fully understand the weight of the responsibility. Define the impact first, and the compensation will follow.

👇 What’s your go-to strategy when a recruiter asks for your salary expectations in the first interview? Do you give a range, or do you deflect? Let’s share some insights below!

12/06/2026

Lesson #2: Be Memorable and Easy to Share with Others - Lukas Hefti & Siebe Van Der Zee.

Lukas is the founder of speachers.com, an international speakers bureau based in Zurich that has supported 100+ events worldwide by providing keynote speakers and connecting personalities with podcasts and news media.

This insightful interview focuses on how to get booked and how to improve as a speaker, covering lessons such as being visible, memorable, and easy to book through clear positioning and a trustworthy website, and staying after talks to mingle. Lukas also advises using stories even for technical topics, pausing and summarizing, using audience-friendly language, focusing on delivery, hooking attention early, and being specific to build trust, plus the importance of not putting everything on slides and being prepared when technology fails.

🎧 Catch the full episode with Lukas Hefti to unlock powerful insights on leadership, personal branding, and scaling your professional impact: https://10lessonslearned.com/lukas-hefti/

11/06/2026

If you are applying to hundreds of jobs online and hearing nothing but crickets, you are playing a game that's stacked against you.

Coldly hitting "apply" puts you at the absolute bottom of the hiring totem pole.

On the latest episode of 10 Lessons Learned, MBA graduate and tour consultant Codie Comeau, MBA breaks down the unvarnished truth of what it actually takes to get hired today:

📊 Resumes are billboards, not diaries: Recruiters skim applications in seconds. Swap out generic bullet points like "responsible for operations" for hard, quantifiable metrics and clear timelines.
🛠️ Manufacture your own experience: The "entry-level paradox" is real—employers want experience before your first job. If you missed out on traditional internships, scrap together passion projects and leadership roles to prove your worth.
⚓ Play the long game with networking: Stop treating networking like a slot machine where you expect an immediate job referral. Treat it as a long-term investment account—bank advice and rapport now so you have a warm network to leverage later.

To win in a hyper-competitive market, your degree isn't enough. You have to pair your credentials with radical customization and personal confidence.

🎧 Stop using an outdated job-search strategy. Watch Codie’s full masterclass here: https://youtu.be/c8pkFMkbT8Y?si=Ly_lE9X8f8_ykUnz

We live in a culture that praises the endless hustle, the constant giving, and the art of putting ourselves last. We wea...
10/06/2026

We live in a culture that praises the endless hustle, the constant giving, and the art of putting ourselves last. We wear burnout like a badge of honor.

Prize-winning author, activist, and former professor Dr. Nora Gold argues that true impact starts with a radical act of self-determination. This timeless piece of wisdom will help us reframe how we look at achievement.

Whether you are trying to write a novel, launch a business, or spearhead a social movement, Dr. Gold notes that the world will rarely hand you the time, permission, or space on a silver platter. You have to claim it:

🛡️ Fiercely guard your creative focus: You cannot do deep, impactful work if you constantly allow your schedule to be hijacked by other people's urgent priorities. Protect your boundaries like your career depends on it.

✨ Define success on your own terms: Stop measuring your worth by external templates or societal expectations. True alignment comes from knowing exactly what you value.

🔋 Recognize that self-care is fuel for impact: As a lifelong community activist, Dr. Gold knows that to effectively stand up for others, you must first build a resilient, well-defended foundation for yourself.

If you aren't backing your own potential, you can't expect anyone else to lead the charge. Catch the full episode on creating space for creativity, handling criticism, and defining your own path: https://youtu.be/5OJ1KSCeL9U?si=6RTqzZhk8VsXK82c

09/06/2026

How much is "conflict avoidance" costing your business? 💸🤐

Think about that one email you’ve been delaying sending. Or that conversation with a team member, partner, or client that you keep pushing to next week.

We naturally avoid uncomfortable conversations because we mistake them for conflict. But global executive and entrepreneur Fabio Teixeira, NACD.DC reminds us that avoiding the tough talk is exactly how small friction points turn into operational disasters.

Whether you are managing a $750M P&L in the energy sector or running a fast-growing local business, delaying clarity always incurs a tax. Here is how Fabio approaches serious conversations to drive alignment instead of alienation:

🎯 Address it early: Problems don't age well. The moment an expectation isn't met or a boundary is crossed, address it calmly before emotion takes over the data.
🤝 Separate the person from the problem: A serious conversation isn't an attack; it's a collaborative diagnostic. Frame the issue as an objective roadblock you both need to clear.
🌍 Calibrate for the room: Cultural fluency matters. Delivering tough feedback looks different depending on who is across the table from you—adapt your delivery, but never dilute the truth.

True leadership requires the courage to step into temporary discomfort for long-term clarity. 🎧 Catch host Siebe Van Der Zee's interview with Fabio Teixeira, NACD.DC on mastering communication, accountability, and the power of saying no: https://10lessonslearned.com/fabio-teixeira/

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