What does success actually mean—and who gets to define it? In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden sits down with Tom Kereszti, a seasoned operator who has lived on every side of the growth journey: founder, corporate builder, M&A leader, mentor, and servant-leader. This is not a conversation about shortcuts or hype. It’s about clarity, character, and building companies—and careers—that endure. Tom begins with a deceptively simple challenge that many leaders avoid answering honestly: Who are you? What are you passionate about? What are you good at? According to Tom, clarity on these three questions is the difference between living your calling and merely having a job title. Leadership, in his view, is not positional—it’s relational. Influence comes from authenticity, not hierarchy. From there, the conversation moves into decision-making across a career and a lifetime. Tom reflects on how doors opening and closing are not random events, but moments that demand discernment. Whether you are starting a company, joining one, or preparing for an exit, the real question is not “Can I do this?” but “What does this lead to in three to five years?” Growth without foresight, he argues, is just movement—not progress. A powerful theme throughout the episode is leadership as influence. Tom outlines four anchors that consistently determine whether people choose to follow you: Clarity on who you are A compelling vision A credible growth strategy And an inner circle that elevates you—because leadership is never a solo act This is where the conversation becomes especially relevant for founders and executives scaling teams. Tom is candid about mistakes he’s made—particularly separating “work life” from “real life.” Businesses don’t grow in spreadsheets; they grow in relationships. When leaders care about people beyond output—about families, context, and humanity—it creates trust, empathy, and long-term resilience. Tom also challenges the popular obsession with work-life balance. Balance, he says, is static—and stagnation is rarely healthy. Growth requires seasons of intensity, reflection, recalibration, and recommitment. The key is intentionality, not symmetry. For those thinking about exits and M&A, Tom brings hard-earned wisdom: structure matters early. Understanding scale, governance, and the right advisors—he jokingly but pointedly notes he always finds a banker and a lawyer—is not about bureaucracy, it’s about optionality. Companies that are built well have choices. Companies that aren’t… don’t. This episode is for you if you are: A founder asking what success really looks like for you An executive scaling teams and culture, not just revenue An investor assessing leadership quality beyond the pitch deck Or a corporate leader navigating growth, reinvention, or transition Because growth is not just about size or speed. It’s about who you become—and who you bring with you—along the way. And that’s exactly what Scouting for Growth exists to explore.