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Piotr Zagorowski

I am a tech-savvy leader with a passion for technology and human connections. I’ve been helping teams reach their full potential at large international companies. My background includes network engineering, leadership, executive board experience in NGOs, and a commitment to self-improvement and sharing my knowledge. Currently, I work as a director of Platform Technologies in an innovative Web3 startup. I help talented people develop individually and build a strong team based on respect, loyalty, and a willingness to help each other in their work.

A Farmer’s Guide to Patient Leadership and Being Present in Growth

A Farmer’s Guide to Patient Leadership and Being Present in Growth

I spend most of my day sitting; at work, behind a laptop, or at my podcasting desk.
Even my so-called “creative time” usually means more sitting, writing, or editing.

To balance it out, I try to move. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu helps. So does helping my wife at our allotment, though helping might be a generous word sometimes.

That small patch of soil has taught me more about patience and process than most leadership books ever did. We used to spend hours there, planting, weeding, and chasing the kids around. Then life got busy, kids, work, everything, and the allotment went quiet for a few years.

Recently, we went back to get it ready for winter, planning to bring it back to life in spring. And while digging and pulling out stubborn weeds, I realised how much farming has in common with leadership.

Hence today’s reflection: what leaders can learn from farmers and what patient leadership is all about.

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Home mini PC running local LLM lab with Docker and AMD iGPU.

Build a Home Lab for Local LLMs with Docker + AMD iGPU

Running local LLMs at home is easier than it looks. With the right mini PC, Ubuntu setup, BIOS tweaks, and Docker containers, you can build a powerful lab that runs models like Mistral 7B and Ollama on AMD hardware. Here’s how I set up mine.

It started the way many of my tinkering projects do: with a cup of coffee and a quiet Saturday morning. For weeks I’d been thinking about building a small server — something quiet enough to sit under the desk, strong enough to handle 7B–8B (or even 12-14B!) models, and flexible enough to let me learn Docker properly without melting my laptop. This time, instead of just daydreaming, I actually pressed “Order”. A little box was on its way to become my home LLM LAB.

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A Tent, a Train, and a Leadership Framework | competence and confidence in action

A Tent, a Train, and a Leadership Framework

Leadership is never one-size-fits-all. What works in one moment may fail in the next, even with the same person. On a recent family holiday, I learned this lesson firsthand — not in a classroom, but in a tent and on a train. It turned out to be the perfect case study for Situational Leadership® (SLII®), a framework that teaches leaders how to flex their style to match competence and confidence.

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A Letter to Myself (and Maybe to You Too) - Season Finale

A Letter to Myself (and Maybe to You Too)

Hey friends, and welcome back to The Coffee Journeys Show. It’s hard to believe it, but this is our final episode of Season 3.

I’m honestly just sitting here with a cup of coffee, reflecting. This season has been… full. Of growth, stories, small wins, and a few messy lessons. And I thought–for this last episode–I’d do something special.

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How I became the IT guy thanks to green men and a hockey stick

From Linux Admin to People Engineer: My Professional Journey

From accidentally infuriating my brother by installing Linux on his computer to leading distributed teams across continents, my journey in technology has been anything but conventional. What began as curiosity about simple network pings evolved into a lifelong passion for connection—both digital and human. Through data centers in the UK, acquisitions by tech giants, and the global shift to remote work, I’ve transformed from a command-line Linux administrator to what I now call a “people engineer.” Join me as I share the pivotal moments, hard-earned lessons, and unexpected detours that shaped my path from technical enthusiast to leadership, including that one time when one of my colleagues dramatically dove across a Nando’s table to save me from volcano-level spicy chicken.

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My First 90 Days - What I Learned the Hard Way

My First 90 Days – What I Learned the Hard Way

If you’ve ever transitioned into a leadership role, you know how tough those first few months can be. You step in full of ideas and excitement, but reality hits fast. Today, I want to share my personal story—what I expected, what actually happened, the struggles I faced, and the lessons I learned the hard way.

Before we get started, if you haven’t yet, I highly recommend checking out my previous episode, “The First 90 Days – Leadership Framework for Success.” In that episode, I covered the structured framework for navigating the first three months in leadership. Today’s episode will be much more personal—what I personally learned through trial and error.

Whether you’re about to take on your first leadership role or just want to reflect on your own journey, this episode is packed with real experiences, honest reflections, and some advice I wish I had when I started.

Grab your coffee, get comfortable, and let’s dive in!

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The First 90 Days as leader

The First 90 Days – Leadership Framework for Success

Stepping into leadership is both exciting and challenging. You want to prove yourself, gain trust, and make an impact—but you also don’t want to move too fast and make mistakes. That’s why today’s episode is all about a structured approach to leadership transitions—what experts say works and how you can apply it to your own journey.

This episode is part one of a two-part series. Today, we’ll cover the First 90 Days as a leader framework, a structured roadmap for stepping into leadership. In the next episode, I’ll share my personal experience—the mistakes, the lessons, and what I wish I had known.

So, grab a coffee and let’s dive in!

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The Pancake DELEGATE principle - Flipping Delegation Into Empowerment

The Pancake DELEGATE principle – Flipping Delegation Into Empowerment

Recently, we celebrated Pancake Day, and in our family, we also celebrate Fat Thursday—which means we had more than enough reasons to make a ton of pancakes. This year, my son asked if he could make pancakes himself. My first thought? No way. I imagined flour everywhere, eggshells in the batter, and maybe even a burnt pan or two. But then I stopped myself. Is this a good time for me to practice what I preach and implement the delegate principle?

You see, this is a lot like what happens at work. Someone on your team says they want to take on a new responsibility or try something outside their comfort zone. And your gut reaction might be to say no because it feels risky. But here’s the thing: if we don’t let people crack a few eggs, they’ll never learn how to make an omelette—or in this case, pancakes.

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Invisible Filters - Unmasking Unconscious Bias in Leadership

Invisible Filters – Unmasking Unconscious Bias in Leadership

Today, we’re talking about something that affects all of us, whether we realize it or not—unconscious bias. Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘I’m not biased!’ But here’s the thing—unconscious bias isn’t about being a bad person. It’s about how our brains are wired to process the world around us. Think of it like making coffee. Just like a coffee filter lets some things through and holds others back, our brains filter information constantly—deciding who belongs in our ‘in-group’ and who doesn’t. And sometimes, those filters can lead us astray. In this episode, we’ll explore what unconscious bias is, how it affects our decisions—especially as leaders—and most importantly, what we can do about it. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in to unmasking unconscious bias in leadership!

Read More »Invisible Filters – Unmasking Unconscious Bias in Leadership