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The Big Squeeze in Private Equity
When Deals Slow, Dashboards Flatten, and Dependency Grows - Capability Multiplies
A practical guide for private equity leaders and portfolio companies navigating execution pressure, technological change, and the new demands of value creation
What Is the Big Squeeze in Private Equity?
Across private equity markets globally, firms are encountering a new operating reality:
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Deals take longer
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Exit multiples fluctuate
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Portfolio performance pressure increases
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AI and technology accelerate organisational change
The result is what we call The Big Squeeze.
The moment when financial engineering alone is no longer enough.
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Why Portfolio Companies Struggle to Convert
Strategy into EBITDA
Private equity firms and portfolio companies repeatedly encounter the same execution challenges
Leadership teams struggling to transition from founder-led growth to professional managementÂ
Value creation plans that exist on dashboards but fail in daily operations.
Organisations unable to adapt quickly to AI-driven technology change
Lack of structure and process inside growing companies
Information gaps that prevent leaders from identifying problems early
Teams reacting to problems rather than executing strategy
Investors relying heavily on external consultants rather than building internal capability
The constraint is rarely capital.
The constraint is capability.
The Big Squeeze in Private Equity
A practical framework for building leadership capability that drives EBITDA growth
DEALS SLOW. DASHBOARDS FLATTEN. DEPENDENCY GROWS. THE BIG SQUEEZE IN PRIVATE EQUITY
Across the private equity and venture capital landscape, investors and portfolio leaders are confronting a new operating reality. Capital is tighter. Execution risk is higher. And the familiar playbooks of consultants, dashboards, financial engineering no longer guarantee results.
When this happens, organisations enter what John Grisby calls âThe Big Squeezeâ. It is the moment when growth stalls, problems compound, and leadership teams discover that the real constraint is not capital or strategyâit is capability.
At the heart of the book are a set of âbest in classâ principles that cut through the noise of competing advice from coaches, consultants, professors, technologists, and advisors. Instead of chasing the latest solution, Grisby shows how to build the leadership muscle through âbest in classâ, evidenced-based frameworks.
Inside this guide you will learn how to:
- Distinguish between working in the business and working on the business
- Navigate the predictable challenges of company lifecycle growth Separate real problems from perceived opportunities
- Balance entrepreneurial drive with professional management
- Turn decisions into disciplined execution across the organisation
- Build internal capability that multiplies EBITDA and valuation
Sustainable value creation cannot be outsourced. It must be built.
When portfolio companies learn to combine entrepreneurial flexibility with professional structure, the result is powerful stronger leadership teams, clearer decision-making, and organisations capable of delivering results in any market cycle. In a world full of competing solutions, The Big Squeeze in Private Equity returns leaders to what matters most: Principles that work.
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The Big Squeeze Sprint
Experience the Framework in Action
SPRINT:Â Executive-grade outputs
Every CHANGE Sprint produces:
⢠Change Loop Diagnostic Snapshot
⢠Executive Readiness Brief (1â2 pages)
⢠Top 3 Capability Constraints
⢠30-Day Leadership Focus Plan
⢠Change Loop Playbook (tools + execution prompts)
⢠30-Minute Executive Debrief
Delivered as a concise executive pack plus structured in-platform resources.
For Implement and Embed pathways, additional facilitation and coaching layers apply.
For individual leaders. Team and enterprise delivery available.
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John Grisby
Meet Your Professor of Practice (Leadership)
John Grisby is a Professor of Practice in Leadership, industry consultant, and author with a proven track record of helping leaders transform their roles, organizations, and sectors. As a specialized Leadership Transformation Partner, he accelerates leadership capacity development and drives change and transformation from strategy to execution within the complex and evolving environments of Industry 4.0.
With over 25 years of experience in human performance and leadership development, Johnâs expertise spans multiple disciplines. His background includes:
- Executive Coaching in Performance (EMCC Coaching Senior Practitioner | Myles Downey)
- Cross-Cultural Organizations (Maastricht University | Dr. Geert Hofstede)
- Organizational Change Strategy (Adizes Institute | Dr. Ichack Adizes)
- Leadership Mindset Systems & Structures (Spiral Dynamics | Dr. Don Beck)
- Professor of Practice (Leadership) (Strategic Lead for Life Long Learning & Executive Education)Â
John holds an MA in Global Communications and is recognized as an HE Fellow, CMBE, and CMgr MCMI.
His global experience includes working with leaders from family-owned businesses, mid-sized enterprises, and corporate organizations across diverse sectors. Having lived and worked in Europe, the USA, Africa, South America, and the Middle East, John brings a unique, international perspective. He is also tri-lingual, fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian.
