The Big Squeeze in Private Equity

Across private equity markets globally, firms are encountering a new operating reality:

• Deals take longer

• Exit multiples fluctuate

• Portfolio performance pressure increases

• 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.

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 ‘The Big Squeeze’. It is the moment when growth stalls, problems compound, and leadership teams discover that the real constraint is not capital or strategy—it is capability.

At the heart of the book are a set of ‘best in class’ 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 ‘best in class’, 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.

The Big Squeeze Sprint

Experience the Framework in Action

SPRINT: Capability-Led Value Creation in Private Equity

Every Big Squeeze Sprint produces executive-grade outputs:

• Big Squeeze Diagnostic Snapshot
• Decision-to-Impact Readiness Brief
• Top 3 Capability Constraints
• CAPI Decision Map/Stakeholder Map
• 30-Day Decision-to-Impact Plan
• Structured Sprint resources and tools
• 30-minute 1:1 Executive Debrief

For broader implementation pathways, this Sprint can extend into team alignment, portfolio leadership development, and wider capability-building programmes.

For investors, portfolio companies, founder-owners and enterprise teams.
Private delivery available. 

John Grisby

Professor of Practice | Leadership Transformation Partner

Private Equity and Founder-Owner Capability Specialist

John Grisby is a Professor of Practice in Leadership, Managing Partner, and industry consultant specialising in private equity value creation, leadership capability, and strategy-to-execution performance.

He works with private equity investors, operating partners, and portfolio leadership teams to turn leadership capability into a measurable value-creation lever, particularly in mid-market, founder-led, and transformation environments where execution under pressure determines EBITDA growth and valuation outcomes.

As a Leadership Transformation Partner, John designs and delivers capability systems that align leadership, structure, and performance from boardroom to frontline. His work focuses on building the internal operating discipline required to reduce dependency on external solutions and improve portfolio execution across growth, turnaround, and buy-and-build strategies.

Experience Across the Private Equity and Mid-Market Ecosystem

With over 25 years of experience in human performance and leadership development, John’s work spans the full spectrum of mid-market activity—from entrepreneurial growth to private equity-backed transformation and exit.

His experience includes:

• Entrepreneurial IPO / Exit Environments
  Supported growth journeys in sales and business development, including Regus UK PLC (IPO) and 50 Lessons (M&A exit), linking leadership capability to commercial performance.
• UK & EU Growth and Innovation Programmes
  Designed and delivered national and regional initiatives including Grant Thornton Growth Accelerator, Help to Grow (Chartered Association of Business Schools), SEMLEP Business Recovery, ICT Escalator, and Innovation Bridge—working with hundreds of SME leaders navigating change, scale, and performance improvement.
• Private Equity and Founder-Led Businesses
  Embedded leadership and management capability in family-owned enterprises and growth-stage organisations, supporting both turnaround and scale-up phases.
• Investor and Peer Group Environments
  Speaker and facilitator for ACG UK private equity roundtables, Vistage CEO groups, and Exit Planning Exchange (US & UK), supporting peer-level dialogue on value creation, leadership, and performance. 
• US Mid-Market Environment 
  US Chapter Member (Chicago/North Carolina): XPX Exit-Planning-Exchange a multi-disciplinary community of professional advisors focused on education who work collaboratively to help owners build stronger business and prepare for and execute successful business transitions.
• Non-Executive and Advisory Roles
  Advised CEO and executive leadership teams in structuring peer groups and capability systems to deliver sustainable performance and return on investment. 

How He Creates Value

John’s work is focused on practical, measurable outcomes, not theoretical models.

He helps organisations to:

• Build Value-Linked Leadership Capability
  Apply structured frameworks that connect leadership behaviour directly to top-line growth, EBITDA, and cash performance.
• Strengthen Execution and Alignment
  Establish operating rhythms and collaboration systems that link leadership capability (KSBs) to KPI performance across the organisation.
• Diagnose and De-Risk Leadership Challenges
  Conduct in-depth diagnostics to identify root causes of performance gaps and improve decision-making in growth, transformation, and private equity-backed environments.
• Scale Capability Through Digital and AI-Enabled Systems
  Design hybrid learning architectures that embed leadership standards across senior and emerging leaders.
• Accelerate Performance at Senior Levels
  Work directly with CEOs, functional leaders, and leadership teams to improve decision quality, execution discipline, and organisational impact.

Expertise and Credentials

• Professor of Practice in Leadership (UK FHEA)
• Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI Fellow)
• Certified Management & Business Educator (CMBE)
• EMCC Senior Practitioner – Executive Coaching for Performance & Productivity

Specialist areas include:

• Organisational Change & Company Lifecycle (Adizes Institute)
• Systems Thinking & Cross-Cultural Organisations (Hofstede)
• Leadership Value Systems (Spiral Dynamics – Dr. Don Beck)

Education and International Experience

John holds a BA in Business Communications from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a Master’s in Global Marketing and Communications from Emerson College, Boston.

Having lived and worked across Europe, the United States, Africa, South America, and the Middle East, he brings a global perspective to leadership and transformation. He is tri-lingual (English, Spanish, Italian) and combines cross-cultural fluency with the commercial pragmatism required by investors, boards, and operators.