To illustrate the gravity of this question, I asked my students one morning during class, “If a hiring manager’s abilities are a six on a ten-point scale, do you think the manager is more likely to hire an eight or a four?”
Every student immediately guessed “eight.” But when they discovered the real answer was four, based on our human tendency to protect ourselves (and to protect our own egos), you could almost see the light bulbs go on.
What kind of people do you seek out and surround yourself with? If you’re in a position to hire or fire, your answer has exponential impact. Suppose one of your senior partners hires a six. If a six is more likely to hire a four, a four will be more likely to hire a two, or at best, another four. What kind of firm will you have, ten years from now, if it follows that trajectory? How well will you be able to compete? (Nathaniel Branden writes about this principle in his book, Self-Esteem at Work.)
Here’s the good news: Overcoming this human tendency is just a decision away. For example, one of my former managers used to say only half-jokingly, “I couldn’t get hired here” — even though he owned the company. He had made a point of hiring people who had strengths he didn’t have, and as a result, both he and the company grew stronger.
Each one of us, even if we’re unable to hire or fire, has the opportunity not only to strengthen our organizations, but truly to elevate mankind by our example. In those arresting lines from Martin Luther King Jr., “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
This week, why not seek out and surround yourself with those who inspire you to raise your game? Why not let your example inspire everyone you meet? The risks are temporary, but the rewards can last even beyond our lifetimes.
Network with Gina