The "A-Team"
Obviously, when you are starting a company, you want to hire the best possible people. Everyone will tell you that. Yes, my advice is the same - hire the best possible people. However, I would also add a couple of other points that I have learned over the past 4 years.
First, hire people who are truly passionate about having an impact. It may sound corny, but great companies hire people who want to change the world - those people who have a burning desire to learn, who get goose bumps when they talk about the possibilities of doing great things for clients, who care about building a great company, who see opportunities and drive them forward, who see problems and solve them, who refuse to lose, who raise the bar for everyone.
Second, let them. That's right. Let them be great. Value their opinions. Listen to their concerns. Let them make the call. Let them have the credit. If they are truly "A-Team" players, the results will be incredible and they will be happier than they have ever been.
However, be aware that not all "A-Team" players are alike. Some will just run with it and have an incredible impact fast. Others will take some time to get a feel for the company and the personalities before they start to demonstrate their leadership skills. And others are like starting an old lawn mower - it will take a couple more pulls of the cord but once you get it going you can't turn it off. For those people, giving them your trust, giving them a motivational speech, and giving them a swift kick in the ass will get them going.
After all of that, if you hire someone who doesn't turn out to be an "A-Team" player, let them know and let them go. No matter how hard it is, it is just too important to your business. In most cases, if you've built an "A-Team" company, it will be obvious to everyone involved - so there won't be any surprises.
In summary, hire the best possible people (aka "The A-Team") and then just get out of the way.
First, hire people who are truly passionate about having an impact. It may sound corny, but great companies hire people who want to change the world - those people who have a burning desire to learn, who get goose bumps when they talk about the possibilities of doing great things for clients, who care about building a great company, who see opportunities and drive them forward, who see problems and solve them, who refuse to lose, who raise the bar for everyone.
Second, let them. That's right. Let them be great. Value their opinions. Listen to their concerns. Let them make the call. Let them have the credit. If they are truly "A-Team" players, the results will be incredible and they will be happier than they have ever been.
However, be aware that not all "A-Team" players are alike. Some will just run with it and have an incredible impact fast. Others will take some time to get a feel for the company and the personalities before they start to demonstrate their leadership skills. And others are like starting an old lawn mower - it will take a couple more pulls of the cord but once you get it going you can't turn it off. For those people, giving them your trust, giving them a motivational speech, and giving them a swift kick in the ass will get them going.
After all of that, if you hire someone who doesn't turn out to be an "A-Team" player, let them know and let them go. No matter how hard it is, it is just too important to your business. In most cases, if you've built an "A-Team" company, it will be obvious to everyone involved - so there won't be any surprises.
In summary, hire the best possible people (aka "The A-Team") and then just get out of the way.
