Podcast summary
266. The Book That Almost Wasn't
Hire and grow true team players, not resumes
A team succeeds when people are predisposed to the combined virtues of humble, hungry, and smart; missing one reduces fit, gels slowly, and forces managers to “fix” character through coaching.
The riskiest misfit is smart without humility
Emotional/practical “smart” can mask ego, producing a skillful politician who performs publicly while undermining trust; by the time teams detect it, damage is already done.
Hunger failures quietly lower everyone’s standards
When someone is lovable but not hungry, peers compensate and resentment grows; over time the team normalizes lower effort—“why go above and beyond if it isn’t required?”
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