This Episode's Journey
In this episode of The Wall, John Costigan sits down with Ed Fardos, a seasoned executive who’s led global operations and digital transformation at world-class companies including HP, Apple, and others at the forefront of innovation.
Ed shares pivotal lessons from his two-decade corporate journey — from pioneering live customer chat technology before it became the industry norm, to shaping Apple’s customer-experience culture during the iPhone era.
He reveals what it takes to lead with both political and interpersonal savvy, and how mastering the “art of informing” can make or break leadership credibility.
💬 Beyond the Corporate Ladder
But the conversation goes deeper.
Ed opens up about turning down a dream executive role for family, redefining success beyond the corporate climb, and developing his powerful “Hold Your Rope” philosophy — a perspective on trust, accountability, and what it means to truly show up for others.
💡 What You’ll Learn
- How to balance ambition with authenticity — and lead through influence, not authority
- The difference between political savvy and interpersonal savvy in corporate leadership
- What “informing up” means and why it can make or break your executive career
- Lessons from working directly with Tim Cook and Apple’s leadership culture
- How to recognize when success costs too much — and make values-based decisions
- The “Hold the Rope” principle and how it defines real leadership and trust
Key Moments in This Episode
- 02:30How a chance meeting on a plane changed the trajectory of Ed’s career at HP
- 08:50The art of “political and interpersonal savvy” — and how it opened doors others couldn’t
- 27:00Inside Ed’s interview with Tim Cook — and the moment honesty paid off
- 31:45Learning the hard way: “At Apple, we don’t table-pound our way to success.
- 44:10Turning down the ultimate promotion — and why it was the right decision
