A Conversation With Justin Nassiri, CEO, Executive Presence
Justin Nassiri, founder and CEO of Executive Presence, joined Julie Williamson to explore what it really takes to move from agreement to alignment, especially when leaders know they should be more visible but struggle to act. Justin traced his leadership journey from drum major to the Naval Academy, nuclear submarines, Stanford, and multiple startups, landing on a key insight Julie reinforced throughout the conversation: leadership is never finished; it keeps evolving as you do. A powerful moment came when Justin shared, realizing, at 45, that he was experiencing true partnership with his leadership team for the first time. Julie named it clearly: that moment shows what leadership can feel like when alignment is real.
Together, they unpacked why leaders often agree they should work on self-awareness, emotional regulation, or presence, yet don’t align to do the work. Justin explained that personal growth doesn’t come with clean metrics or fast wins, unlike most business skills. Julie connected this directly to the Failure Gap, where good intentions stall without commitment, patience, and the willingness to sit with discomfort.
Episode Takeaways
- Leadership is not a destination. It’s more like a subscription you have to renew with humility
- Personal growth fuels leadership growth: emotional regulation and self-awareness create space for more honest, productive team dialogue
- For entrepreneurs: don’t confuse “co-creating everything” with alignment. Sometimes the visionary’s job is to sketch the destination so the team can build the route
- “Simple is better” plus repetition wins: if you can’t rattle off your values, your team definitely can’t. Turn the volume up 10x
- LinkedIn success comes down to three things: a compelling why (usually service to the business), clear measurement (what does “good” look like?), and a system (motivation is a flimsy employee)
Justin’s closing “align on this” is deceptively hard: listen better. Reflect back on what you heard, slow down the hot takes, and watch the temperature drop. In a noisy world, the most executive thing you can do might be to stop talking for a second.
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn here or learn more about Executive Presence here.
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Is misalignment holding your organization back?
Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations.
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn here or learn more about Executive Presence here.
-------------------------
Is misalignment holding your organization back?
Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations.
Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together.
Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:
Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:
Creators and Guests
Host
Julie Williamson, PhD
Julie Williamson, PhD is the CEO and a Managing Partner at Karrikins Group, a Denver-based, global-serving business consultancy. Author, Keynote Speaker, and Host of The Failure Gap Podcast, Julie is a leading voice in how alignment can transform leaders and organizations.
Guest
Justin Nassiri
Justin is a serial entrepreneur with 15 years of experience building companies from the ground up. Before Executive Presence, Justin launched multiple successful startups that were eventually acquired. He holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. Justin’s earliest career days were spent at McKinsey & Company working for one of the world’s top business consulting firms. Justin also served as a Navy officer aboard nuclear submarines, leading large crews on advanced naval missions. About Executive Presence We specialize in helping companies build trust and visibility by elevating their leadership, particularly on LinkedIn. Our premium, fully-managed service is designed to position executives as thought leaders while strengthening overall brand recognition. Our approach includes comprehensive content strategy, creation, and analytics. Each client works with a dedicated consultant (“Engagement Manager”) who develops a customized strategy, conducts monthly interviews to source content, and oversees content creation. We continuously analyze performance to refine messaging and enhance engagement.
