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Light on Leadership
Less Stress Starts with Who You Hire
Welcome to Light on Leadership! In under two minutes, our newsletter delivers one book recommendation, one leadership action step, and two leadership tips. We know you're busy, so we've designed this content to be both useful and shareable. Enjoy!
What are we reading? The First Two Rules of Leadership: Don't Be Stupid, Don't Be a Jerk.
- by David Cottrell
Great schools and organizations aren’t built by programs or policies—they are built by people! Who wouldn’t want less stress and a positive, supportive team to work with every day? One of the most important responsibilities of leadership is building that kind of team. But great teams don’t come together by accident—they’re built with intentionality.
That begins in the hiring process. As leaders, we have to clearly define the skills, attributes, and attitudes we want in a successful candidate. And just as important, we need to recognize when we’ve made the wrong hire. Avoiding difficult personnel decisions only delays the inevitable and increases the strain on everyone involved.
As the first chapter of this book reminds us: sometimes the smartest choice is to wait. If no one in the applicant pool is the right fit, don’t settle—don’t hire anyone. Take the time to find the right person. The long-term payoff is worth it: a stronger team, a healthier culture, and a leader with less stress.
Action Step
Before your next hiring decision, take 15 minutes to update your “ideal candidate profile.” List the top 3 non-negotiable skills, the key personal attributes you value most, and the attitude that fits your school culture. Share this profile with your hiring team so everyone is aligned. Then commit: if a candidate doesn’t meet these essentials, don’t hire—wait until you find the right fit.
Purchase this book! https://www.amazon.com/First-Two-Rules-Leadership-Stupid/dp/1119282802
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Two Tips
“Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.”
– Warren Buffett.
