We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erald Minga. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erald below.
Erald, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I discovered my purpose gradually, through the people closest to me and the work I’ve been trusted to do. For most of my life, I’ve been surrounded by family and friends who see potential long before I do. They are the ones who push me, encourage me, and remind me that meaningful work is always rooted in serving others. Early in my career, I thought purpose would come from a title or milestone. But real clarity arrived when I founded Chicago Execs. Helping organizations solve complex talent challenges showed me something important: people don’t just want better systems; they want to feel seen, supported, and understood. That realization changed everything.
My purpose today is to help leaders hire and develop people in ways that strengthen entire communities, not just workplaces. At Chicago Execs, I’ve been able to blend strategy with genuine human connection, and that blend has become the core of my professional identity. I am also someone who is driven heavily by relationships. My closest circle, family and lifelong friends, grounds me in humility and keep me focused on impact. They’re the reason I stay resilient during tough moments and why I’m willing to take bold swings when an organization needs transformation.
Along the way, I’ve learned something interesting: research consistently shows that people who lead with empathy, communicate openly, and genuinely enjoy helping others tend to be rated as “highly likable” by broad groups. I’ve always tried to show up this way, and I believe that’s why many of my partnerships, from CEOs to early-career talent, develop into trust-based, long-term relationships.
For me, purpose wasn’t discovered in a single moment. It was shaped by the people I care for, refined by the leaders who believed in me early in my career, and ultimately rooted in the mission of helping others succeed, one conversation and one courageous decision at a time.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Chicago Execs is a boutique executive search firm that helps organizations find the kind of leaders who move institutions forward. We work across higher education, technology management, marketing, and healthcare, which are some of the fastest-growing and most talent-hungry sectors in today’s economy. These industries are undergoing major transformation, and the need for strong leadership has never been greater.
What makes our work exciting is the impact. When you pair an organization with the right executive, everything improves: strategy becomes clearer, operations strengthen, teams communicate better, and outcomes rise. That is the core of what we do. We help clients secure leaders who are ready to shape the future from day one.
Chicago Execs is known for its high-touch, precision-driven approach. We combine executive search, leadership assessment, and modern talent strategy to help institutions find leaders who can navigate digital transformation, workforce change, brand differentiation, and the growing demand for operational excellence. Our clients trust us because we bring deep market insight, rigorous evaluation, and a genuine commitment to understanding their culture and long-term goals.
We are also expanding our services to meet increasing demand for leadership resilience. This includes succession planning, leadership readiness assessments, and organizational capability reviews, all designed to help institutions build stronger internal pipelines and reduce the risk of leadership gaps. These new offerings are already helping clients prepare for a future where hiring competition will only intensify.
The heart of the Chicago Execs brand is partnership. We do not approach executive hiring as a transaction. We see it as an opportunity to strengthen organizations that matter. Whether it is a university hiring a forward-thinking dean or a healthcare group looking for a transformative clinical leader, we bring the same level of care, clarity, and strategic focus to every engagement.
For readers who want to learn more about our work or explore how we approach executive search and leadership strategy, you can visit ChicagoExecs.com. It is a great way to learn how we help organizations recruit leaders who can elevate performance and drive meaningful change.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
When I think back on my journey, three qualities made the biggest difference: curiosity, the ability to recognize patterns, and the capacity to build trust with people from all backgrounds. Each one shaped my career differently, and they are skills anyone can develop with intention.
The first is curiosity:
Real growth started when I allowed myself to ask deeper questions, even when they were uncomfortable or outside the scope of my role at the time. Curiosity helps you understand people better, understand systems better, and see opportunities that others overlook. The best advice for someone early in their career is to stay open. Ask follow-up questions, listen without rushing to respond, and be genuinely interested in how things work. It is surprising how quickly curiosity can expand your world.
The second is recognizing patterns:
This skill helped me make better decisions, understand how organizations evolve, and identify what makes certain leaders successful. You can build this ability by exposing yourself to different industries, paying attention to how people make choices, and taking time to reflect on your own experiences instead of moving through them on autopilot. Over time, patterns emerge, and they become a compass that helps you see what is coming before it arrives.
The third is learning how to build trust quickly:
Trust is what allows people to be honest, collaborative, and open to new ideas. It is not about being impressive. It is about being reliable, communicating clearly, and showing people that you genuinely care about their success. If you are early in your career, you can strengthen this skill by doing the small things well. Follow through on what you say, be present in conversations, and pay attention to how your actions affect others. Trust grows from consistency, not perfection.
If there is one piece of advice I would give anyone starting, it is this: invest in the skills that help you understand people. Industries change, technology changes, strategy changes. What never loses value is the ability to listen, interpret, and build real relationships. Those qualities have shaped every chapter of my journey, and they continue to guide my work today.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Two books have stayed with me in unexpected ways: “Thinking in Systems” by Donella Meadows and “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas Stanley and William Danko. They entered my life at different times, yet together they have influenced how I make decisions, lead, and think about long-term stability for myself and my family.
Thinking in Systems gave me language for something I had felt intuitively for years: that outcomes rarely stem from a single moment or person. They arise from the structure around us, the incentives we set, the information we share, and the beliefs we hold. I remember reading it and feeling like a light turned on. It helped me understand why some teams thrive effortlessly while others struggle despite hard work. That book taught me to slow down, step back, and look for deeper patterns before rushing into problem-solving.
The most personal lesson from it was this: if you want to change your life, you must change the system you operate in. That mindset shifted how I approach leadership and how I organize my routines at home.
The Millionaire Next Door influenced me differently. It made me reconsider what success means. Growing up, like many others, I believed success required big gestures or visible wins. That book showed me that those who build real financial strength often live quietly with discipline. They make consistent choices, avoid comparisons, and define success on their own terms.
What struck me most was the idea that wealth isn’t about income but about behavior. That insight resonated deeply. It reminded me that long-term security for my family depends on habits, not moments of luck.
A few lessons from that book serve as personal anchors:
– Live in a way that protects your peace, not your image.
– Practice small, consistent actions that the future you will appreciate.
– Build stability quietly and intentionally, even when no one notices.
When I combine the lessons from both books, the message is clear: understand the systems around you and take ownership of the systems you build for yourself. These perspectives have shaped how I lead teams, approach strategy, and make decisions that will matter ten years from now.
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