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people who complement each other. Can challenge each other. Who bring different skills and
perspectives. Make it your aim to surround yourself with people who are not like you. Learn to sit
comfortably among them.

6. Worried you’ll be shown up? Be an “A” player. “A” players know what they don’t know. They do
not pretend they know when they don’t. They’re aware of their weaknesses and accept them. “A”
players aren’t threatened by people who are better than they are. Who can do things they can’t.
Consequently, they hire “A” players. In contrast, “B” players are threatened by “A” players. They hire
“C” players to avoid being shown up. No one has all possible strengths. Chances are everyone in
your unit is better at something than you are. The key is to take this natural fear and turn it into a
positive gain. Hire the “A” players who have areas of strength you don’t. Who can bridge talent gaps
you can’t. Study how they think, watch how they go about exercising their strengths, and use this
knowledge to improve yourself. When you hire to complement your weaknesses, you’ll have more
time to focus on your strengths.

7. Can’t tell great from good? Look for learning agility. To be good at anything requires some
knowledge, skills, and technical know-how. What separates the great from the good is the ability to
perform well under first-time, challenging conditions. These “high potential” people are known as
learning agile. They can take lessons from the past and fit them into new and different challenges
they are facing. They know what to do when they don’t know what to do. Look for people who find it
easy to learn new tasks and functions. People who are excellent critical thinkers who enjoy and deal
well with ambiguity and complexity. People who don’t accept the status quo, are impatient. They are
curious, like to try new things, take different approaches. They will be the ones who tend to push the
envelope and are willing to take the heat when things fail. Learning agile people are self-aware. They
exhibit the sort of presence that builds confidence in themselves and others. When it comes to talent
and potential, learning agility separates the best from the rest.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…

Cohan, P. S. (2013, September 25). Your secret to hiring a kick-ass team. Entrepreneur.
Krakovsky, M. (2007, March/April). The effort effect. Stanford Magazine.
Stillman, J. (2012, February 28). The case against hiring people just like you. Inc.

8. Evaluation a bit haphazard? Follow a fair and consistent process. When selection criteria are
unclear or out of date and processes inconsistent, the evaluation of talent can become haphazard.
People rely more on their gut instinct. On their perceptions of what’s needed. Perceptions that are
subjective and can be wrong as often as they are right. What feels like a well-rounded assessment
may actually be incomplete. No more reliable than flipping a coin. Have a consistent framework for
hiring. Establish objective selection criteria. Review the job description; make sure it’s accurate. What
level of skill and experience is needed for the role? Which criteria are essential and which are
desirable? What formal qualifications are required? How will you measure, rate, or score each
candidate against the defined criteria? How will you use those metrics to differentiate? Make sure any
formal testing is valid and relevant to the role. Document the end-to-end process each candidate will
go through—references process, interview, assessment center, psychological assessments, biodata
testing to understand more about the values and beliefs of the person and as a predictor of how
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