Erik Musalem — 8 insights for CEOs and boards from the Commonwealth Club fireside

Erik Musalem — Vistage Chair SF, ex-Fortune 500 GM, and founder of Evolve & Grow — attended the 2026-06-22 Commonwealth Club fireside between Eric Ries and Scott Cook and posted a structured 8-point takeaway thread for CEOs and boards.

“Yesterday at the Commonwealth Club World Affairs in SF Eric Ries was interviewed by Scott Cook in the release of his new book: Incorruptible. Amazing display of clarity of thinking describing how successful organizations experience forces that slowly pull it away from what made it successful in the first place. Here are the insights I captured from the event that I see most relevant for CEOs and boards: 1. Success does not protect a mission, it often threatens it. 2. Trust may be the most undervalued asset in business. 3. Small violations of trust are often highly profitable. 4. The easiest decision is often the wrong decision. 5. Great leadership creates an invisible leader. The strongest organizations are not led by a charismatic individual. They are led by a shared purpose that everyone understands. 6. Leadership quality is insufficient without governance. Intentions eventually lose to incentives. 7. Investors often unintentionally attack the DNA that created success. 8. Founder succession is one of the greatest tests of a company.” — Erik Musalem on LinkedIn