E.117 - 117 Leaders Later - How Referrals, Relationships & Curiosity Build Great Leadership in 2026

We honour great leaders, and we honour great leadership. This retrospective from 117 episodes and 2.5 years of WMYT shares the lessons we've learned - and out outlook on 2026.In this special WMYT Live episode, Richard Washington and Tolu Adebekun explore how the most effective founders, sales leaders, and operators grow their careers and companies - not through volume, but through relationships, curiosity, and trust.If you’re building a business, scaling a team, or trying to stand out in a noisy tech market… this is for you.🔍 In this episode:Why referrals are underused (and how to systematize them)The real difference between a Rolodex and a relationship engineHow curiosity drives better hiring, leadership, and salesWhat 117 episodes of What Makes You Tick have taught us about career successThe traits that make someone an intrapreneur, not just an employeeHow to spot (and avoid) sales hiring blind spots🚀 Who this episode is for:Tech founders & startup leadersSales and GTM professionalsOperators building real influenceAnyone who wants to lead with people, not just process📈 Keywords:referrals, relationship selling, leadership podcast, startup growth, GTM strategy, tech hiring, intrapreneurs, podcasting for business, founder lessons, sales leadership, what makes you tick🎧 About the show:What Makes You Tick? is where tech leaders share what really matters - career moves, product bets, cultural calls, and the personal moments behind the metrics. We honour great leaders!Follow Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/Read Richard’s Newsletter Growth Magnet: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7083793079794556928Subscribe for more conversations that go beyond tactics — and into what makes the people who build startups tick.#LeadershipPodcast, #RelationshipSelling, #TechFounders, #Intrapreneurs, #ReferralsThatScale, #WMYT #WhatMakesYouTick #TickTalent