Yasar Ahmad
Work isn’t a meritocracy and playing nice won’t get you promoted. I’m Yasar Ahmad, one of the world’s leading HR voices with over 15 years in the boardroom and 550,000+ professionals following my work. Each week, I cut through workplace noise with blunt truths, proven strategies, and unfiltered advice to help you earn more, influence faster, and build a career that actually pays off. If you’re tired of being underpaid, overlooked, or underestimated — this is your playbook to win at work.
Episodes
EX VP HR: 10 Things HR Won't Tell You (That Could Save Your Career)
10 things HR knows but won't tell you, answered properly from a hammock in my garden. No corporate script, just straight answers from someone who sat on that side of the table for two decades.I'm Yasar Ahmad, a former global VP of HR, and this is the kind of blunt career advice most people never get. We cover the questions that actually decide your next move. Is a PIP survivable (and how t
5 Things You Should Never Give Your Boss (Even If You Want To)
Get the Executive Interview System Here: https://ovdlab.com/shop/the-executive-interview-system____Your job gets your effort. But there are five things you should never give people at work, even when saying yes feels easier. This is where to draw the line, and the exact words to use.I'm Yasar Ahmad, and I've spent over two decades in HR. This is practical career advice on setting boundarie
EP2: Why I Never Get Imposter Syndrome: A Masterclass in Confidence With Isra Chaker
Isra Chaker got asked one question by the Gates Foundation: how do you get people to care about something they've never been taught to care about? She had no health degree, wasn't a doctor, and had built her career running campaigns. She answered with a movement that has mobilised over $135 million for mothers and babies in more than 20 countries.I'm Yasar Ahmad, a former global VP of
The 7 Unspoken Rules of Corporate Success (That No One Tells You)
You paid tens of thousands for a degree that taught you nothing about how corporate decisions actually get made. From day one, executives are forming opinions about your future based on rules nobody ever wrote down, and if you're working hard in silence, you're already losing.I'm Yasar Ahmad, a former global VP of HR. This is the career advice on office politics and workplace visibilit
EP1 - Are Careers Dead? (with Simon Squibb)
I stood alongside Simon Squibb, the entrepreneur and investor behind HelpBnk and author of the Sunday Times bestseller "What's Your Dream?", for an unscripted conversation about where careers are actually heading, and why the word "career" might not survive the next 20 years.I'm Yasar Ahmad, a former global VP of HR. Simon went from homeless at 15 to selling his agency
Is your team trying to get you fired? The warning signs
Nobody ever tells you you're being frozen out. There's no email, no conversation. The meetings just start happening without you, the messages go quiet, and one day you're standing outside a room you used to run.I'm Yasar Ahmad, a former global VP of HR. Consider this the career advice on office politics nobody hands you: being frozen out at work is one of the oldest tools in the or
Why You're Losing Their Attention (And How to Fix It)
The fastest way to lose a senior room is to bury your point. This is the bluff technique: bottom line up front, the military habit of getting to the point before you lose them.I'm Yasar Ahmad, a former global VP of HR. This is practical career advice and communication skills training built on one hard lesson. Early in my career I was presenting to an executive who stopped me halfway through an
Ex-VP of HR - HR Will Always Lie To You When Answering These Questions
10 career questions HR would never answer honestly, so I will. No corporate script, just how it actually works from someone who ran those departments.I'm Yasar Ahmad, a former global VP of HR, director in my early 20s and VP by my 30s. This is blunt career advice and honest career coaching on the questions that decide your career growth strategy more than any degree. Does your degree matter af
The 72-Hour Rule - How to Make Your Boss Actually See You
I teach people how to lobby at work, and I won't apologise for it. This is how decisions really get made: every decision about you happens in a meeting you're not in, so office politics isn't optional, you're better off getting there first.I'm Yasar Ahmad, a former global VP of HR. Someone probably told you to let your work speak for itself. It's the most expensive advice y
I Live by These 7 Radical Rules (And They Changed My Career)
After decades in senior leadership, these are the seven rules I run my work life by. Not motivational fluff, the operating principles I use for clearer decision making, faster action, and getting people to back my ideas.I'm Yasar Ahmad. Treat this as practical personal development for your career, the kind of career advice that hands you a system instead of a pep talk. Rule one is relentless p
Why You're Ideas Are NOT Being Heard (And How to Fix It In One Meeting!)
In executive and board meetings, the best idea almost never wins. The best delivered idea wins. This is the communication skill that decides who gets listened to, and almost nobody teaches it, because the people who have it like to pretend it's a personality.I'm Yasar Ahmad, a former global VP of HR. I've spent decades in board meetings and exec sessions at companies like Zalando, Hell
Ruthless Selfishness: The Secret to Getting Ahead in Your Career
Most career advice tells you to be less selfish. This one does the opposite: I'll show you how to be ruthlessly selfish in a way that actually builds your career strategy, your reputation, and your standing with the people who decide your future. Recorded on a plane, so bear with me.I'm Yasar Ahmad. I've scaled companies to billions, managed teams of hundreds, and coached first ministe
Why Your Boss Won't Promote You (And It's Not Your Fault).
When your manager calls you indispensable, they've usually already decided not to promote you. This is how promotions really work: I sat in the room where that decision gets made for almost two decades, and being overlooked at work while carrying double is quietly costing you about a pay band a year.I'm Yasar Ahmad. Here's the career advice nobody hands you on how to get promoted, and
Someone Stole Your Idea in a Meeting? Do This Immediately!
There's a particular kind of sting when someone steals your idea in a meeting. They say the thing you just said, the room lights up, and the credit lands on them. If you've felt it, here's how to make sure it never happens again.I'm Yasar Ahmad, a former global VP of HR. Over 20 years I've sat in the rooms where ideas get traded like currency, working with leaders from HelloFre
How to Get Recognised, Promoted and Paid What You're Worth! (Webinar - Replay)
You can be the best worker on your team and still be invisible to the people who decide promotions and pay. This is the full masterclass on how to get promoted, how promotions really work, and how to stand out at work, without playing office politics or burning yourself out.Book a strategy call here: https://ovdlab.com/book/team/strategy-discovery-call/15minFind out about September cohort here: ht
4 Hidden Signs of a WEAK Character at Work (Don't EVER fall for it again)
There's a 2-second window that tells you everything about someone's character. It's the 2 seconds after they're told they got something wrong, before the professional face goes back on. Most of us miss it because we're busy reading charm.I've hired and promoted people for the better part of two decades, and the same thing holds up every time: pressure, power, and the small
WHY do Stupid People Get Promoted Before YOU!
Why do idiots keep getting promoted? Because they worked out what's actually being scored, and you didn't. I've sat in the calibration rooms where those decisions get made, and here's what really happens.Chapters:0:00 Why idiots keep getting promoted0:08 Inside the calibration room (90 seconds that decide you)0:34 Is corporate a meritocracy? The 10/30/60 maths1:02 Does hard work ge
How to Turn a ENEMY into a FRIEND in ONE conversation
Can you take a conversation from threat to trust in one sitting? When a discussion turns heated, most people wing it, and that's exactly when it falls apart. This is the system I use to turn it around.There are two parts. First you regulate yourself, because none of the clever tactics work while your face is hot and your stomach's in knots. I use the Stoic sequence: notice the feeling, nam
BIG MISTAKES to Avoid On Your Resume
Get my free RESUME template here: https://ovdlab.com/blog/my-resume-that-landed-me-my-vp-roleOver my entire career I rejected more than a million resumes. Almost every one failed for the same five reasons, and nobody ever told the person why.I ran hiring at companies like HelloFresh and Wipro, where we brought in thousands of people a month and sat on a database of 3 to 4 million resumes. Yours ge
He Was Hired to Fix FIFA. He Became the Problem.
The man hired to clean up FIFA just ran the biggest decision in sport as one man. That is the leadership and governance failure that quietly plays out in ordinary companies every week, and almost nobody catches it until it's too late.____As mentioned in the video:Complete my free career diagnostic. Learn about the secret rules holding you back and how to fix it! 5000 people have already completed
WHAT to TEACH your Kids this Year! (26/27)
School rewards your child for doing what they're told. The working world pays for the opposite, and hardly anyone closes that gap in time.____As mentioned in the video:Complete my free career diagnostic. Learn about the secret rules holding you back and how to fix it! 5000 people have already completed it. Dont get left behind. 👉🏽https://ovdlab.com/assessment____I spent years running hiring and ta
The Real Reason Calm People Get Promoted First
Most senior leaders can't verify whether you deliver. They can only verify whether you stay calm when something goes wrong. That's why steady, well-spoken people get promoted while stronger performers wait, and it's where this Q&A starts.____As mentioned in the video:Complete my free career diagnostic. Learn about the secret rules holding you back and how to fix it! 5000 people hav
How To Become Dangerously Self-Managed (Today!)
Most people scroll past their company values as corporate mumbo jumbo on a wall. Used properly, those same values are the sharpest accountability tool you have at work, for holding yourself in check and for steering a room without ever telling someone they're wrong. Recorded from the car, so bear with me. I break down the three values I actually run my work on: relentless prioritisation, custo
The SECRET INGREDIENT to mastering Executive Presence NO ONE is talking about!
Executive presence isn't charisma you're born with. It's one learnable skill, clarity, and it's the reason some people sound senior the moment they open their mouth while sharper colleagues get overlooked for years.____As mentioned in the video:Complete my free career diagnostic. Learn about the secret rules holding you back and how to fix it! 5000 people have already completed it.
£300K vs £3 Million: How to Frame Any Big Ask
How you frame an idea at work decides whether it gets a yes or a wall of "why". Tell your boss "I need £300K to upgrade the platform" and watch the questions pile up. Reframe it as "can we afford to lose £3 million in our busiest period if it drops?" and the room goes quiet.____As mentioned in the video:Complete my free career diagnostic. Learn about the secret rules
THIS is the SECRET to staying relevant in 2027
On the 1st of August, a computer did something no human had done. It solved ten open problems in maths. A Fields Medal winner looked at the proof and said he would send it to a top journal without hesitation.That is not the part that keeps me up at night.Everyone is bracing for a jobs recession. I am not. I spent twenty years in boardrooms signing off restructures. Jobs vanish. Jobs appear. That n
Why Smart People Ramble (And How to Stop)
You know your point. So why are you still talking?🔍 Find out exactly where you're losing visibility at work:Free diagnostic → https://www.ovdlab.com/assessment📚 Deeper playbooks and frameworks:https://www.ovdlab.com/shopMost professionals over-explain not because they lack confidence but because nobody ever taught them to cut. This video changes that.In this video you'll get:→ The real rea
This Sentence ENDS your career and NO ONE is allowed to tell you about it!
Most professionals think working harder is enough. It isn't.🔍 Discover your workplace visibility score: www.ovdlab.com🛒 Resources to help you win at work: https://www.ovdlab.com/bioThe mistake that holds people back at work isn't poor performance it's invisibility. You can be the most capable person in the room and still get passed over, if the right people don't know what you'
Why You Are Failing To Grow In Your Career & What Will Fix It
Go to https://www.ovdlab.com/assessment to start you're assessment.If you want to skip the assessment and join now go to: https://ovdlab.com/for/You
Answering Difficult Career Questions From The Internet!
Answering Difficult Career Questions From The Internet!After 15+ years inside global leadership roles working with leaders from Amazon, Google, Deloitte, and the NHS, and scaling HelloFresh from a few thousand employees into the tens of thousands, I've seen these exact situations play out hundreds of times. What works. What hiring managers actually think when they read your resume. The career
YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR JOB! (Motivational Speech)
Your job is not your identity. Your career is not your worth. And your current struggle at work is not a reflection of who you are as a person.This is a short, no-nonsense reminder for anyone who's tied their entire sense of self to their job title, their performance review, or their latest workplace setback. You are so much more than what you do for money.If you're going through a tough t
Your Company is LYING to you! This is how you get promoted!
Find out more here:https://ovdlab.com/lastday/you
I Tried 5 Japanese Career Rules — They Changed How I Work Forever
Most career advice is about doing more. More networking. More skills. More hustle. But the Japanese have spent centuries mastering the opposite and it works.In this video, I break down 5 Japanese minimalist principles that will help you cut the noise, focus on what actually matters, and build a career with intention instead of burnout.You'll learn:→ The concept that tells you exactly where to
Corporate Clapback's if Someone Challenges You!
👇 Grab the free visibility diagnostic in the description to find out your visibility score and exactly where you're going wrong at work.https://www.ovdlab.comSomeone questions your expertise mid-meeting. The room goes quiet. What you say next will either cost you the room or command it.In this video, I'm giving you the exact phrase that instantly reclaims your authority when your expertise
5 Rules For People You Love
You wouldn't accept the same salary for ten years and pretend you're fine. So why accept the same version of yourself and expect your relationship to survive?"I've spent 15+ years studying workplace dynamics. Turns out, the same principles that build high-performing teams also build stronger relationships. Here are 5 workplace strategies that translate directly to your personal li
Master Salary Negotiations!
📊 Struggling with career visibility or workplace dynamics?Take the OVD Diagnostic to identify exactly what's holding you back: www.ovdlab.com____How to answer "What are your Salary Expectations?" - Without Losing Money! Every time you answer this question honestly, you're probably leaving £5,000–£15,000 on the table. I spent 15 years in HR leadership—at Amazon, Google, HelloFresh
STOP Miscommunication At Work!
STOP Miscommunication at Work (Before It Destroys Your Credibility)Miscommunication isn't a soft skill problem. It's a credibility problem. And it's costing you influence, opportunities, and mental energy every single day.I spent 15 years in HR leadership watching the same communication breakdowns repeat across Amazon, Google, HelloFresh, and the NHS. The people who advanced fastest we
7 Frameworks to get people to say YES!
🔗 Take the FREE 5-Minute Career Diagnostic: https://www.ovdlab.comIdentify the specific gaps holding you back in your career. The diagnostic assessment helps you pinpoint exactly where to focus — whether it is confidence, visibility, communication, relationships, or strategic positioning — so you can stop guessing and start growing with clarity.The most persuasive people almost never ask for what
17 Years of Leadership Advice I wish I knew in my 20's (from a Global VP in $10B Company)
17 Years of Leadership Advice in 21 Minutes | Global VP, $10B CompanyWhat does it actually take to lead at the highest levels of a global organisation? After 17 years in the trenches from managing people problems to sitting in the boardroom of a $10 billion company, I'm sharing everything I wish someone had told me earlier.In this video, I break down the 12 leadership lessons that shaped my ca
How To Be Positive In a Negative Environment
In this episode I talk about how to stay positive in a negative situation. Between what happens to you and how you react — there is a gap.That gap is where your power lives. Viktor Frankl called it the space between stimulus and response.Train it. Daily.Separate signal from noise.When chaos hits the workplace, pause and ask:"Is this actually within my control?"You can't control the s
OVD - The Science to Success at Work
OFFER, VALUE, DEALThe Science to Success at Workby YASAR AHMADThis comprehensive audio books takes you through 11 chapters of successful techniques, habits and strategic practices to proper at work.The audio book is in celebration of the launch of OVDLab. If you have'nt already check out www.ovdlab.com for your chance to get coached directly by Yasar.
How to Answer "Tell Me About Yourself"
Get the full course here: Limited time only! https://yasarahmad.samcart.com/products/get-hired-in-72-hours-the-complete-job-search-system______Struggling with the infamous “Tell me about yourself” question? Yeah, you’re not alone. Most people answer it like they’re reading their Resume out loud… in slow motion. This free lesson cuts through the fluff and shows you exactly how to craft an answer th
From Invisible to Influential in 18 Months (The Exact System That Worked)
Most people think you need a promotion to become influential at work. You don't. You need a system.In this video, I break down the exact 5-step framework that took a mid-level project manager from completely invisible to influencing decisions three levels above her pay grade in just 18 months. No promotion. No longer hours. Just strategic, systematic influence-building backed by behavioural sc
Being Nice Wont Save You At Work
Stop Being "Nice" at Work - It's Destroying Your Career - I firmly believe someone needs to hear this: Stop being nice at work at the expense of being real.CONNECT WITH ME: 📱 Instagram: @yasarahmad_ 💼 LinkedIn: Yasar Ahmad 🌐 Website: www.yasarahmad.com 🎓 OVD Lab: www.ovdlab.com🎯 RESOURCES:Take the OVD Visibility Diagnostic (Find out your visibility score and where you're going wr
20 Sentences That Will Change Your Life
Most career advice tells you to "think positive" or "manifest success." The Stoics? They tell you the truth: you can't control what happens to you at work, but you can control how you respond to it.This isn't motivational fluff. These are 20 ancient principles from Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus—that directly apply to the chaos of modern work: anxiety before pre
The Rules of Work Podcast - Rule #2: Accepting Your Unknown Unknowns
Most people think they know what they don’t know. They’re wrong.This episode is about the blind spots that hold you back — the skills, habits, and assumptions you don’t even realize are working against you.I break down how to spot them, what to do when you find them, and why true growth only happens when you admit you’ve been operating in the dark.If you’ve ever thought you were self-aware — this
The Rules of Work Podcast — Rule #1: How to Get in Control
Welcome to the first episode of The Rules of Work - where we cut through the nonsense and talk about what actually matters at work.In this episode, I break down how to get in control - of your emotions, your reputation, and your direction. No fluff. No buzzwords. Just practical tools and sharp insights to help you stop reacting and start leading.If you’ve ever felt like work was running you instea
10 Hidden Rules Of Work - Billionaires, Prime Ministers & CEO's Follow!
Subscribe to my newsletter here: https://bio.yasarahmad.com/NewsletterDon't FORGET, please subscribe to this channel, I'll be sharing more knowledge videos on the workplace including strategy and techniques to grow your career and get paid more. --------------10 workplace truths your boss won’t tell you - but I will.I’m Yasar, one of the most influential HR leaders in the world, followed b
Mastering Executive Recruitment - Roopesh Panchasra on building bionic teams and finding transformational leaders
In this episode of the Talent Community Podcast, host Yasar Ahmad sits down with Roopesh Panchasra, Vice President of Global Executive Recruiting & GTM Talent Acquisition at ServiceNow, to explore the nuanced world of executive recruitment, leadership qualities, and the evolving impact of AI in hiring. 🌍Roopesh shares his strategies for building bionic teams, the importance of a strong persona
Leadership Redefined: Empathy, Culture & Growth with Dorit Schindler
🎙️ Navigating Leadership at Scale | Dorit Schindler | Talent Community PodcastIn this episode of the Talent Community Podcast, host Yasar Ahmad sits down with Dorit Schindler, Senior Vice President of People and Organization at Flix, to explore the complexities of leadership, fostering a strong company culture, and leading with empathy. 🌱Dorit shares powerful insights on how reskilling, embracing
Leading at Scale: How Deepak Parija Manages 240,000+ Employees & Prepares for 2025
In this episode of The Talent Community Podcast, we sit down with Deepak Parija, Chief Talent Officer at Wipro, to explore what it takes to lead talent strategy for over 240,000 employees across 60+ countries. Interviewed by Yasar Ahmad, VP of People at HelloFresh, Deepak shares his insights on:🔹 The biggest leadership challenges of 2025 and how to prepare for them🔹 Reskilling at scale and the rol
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