Top founders don't simply "tough it out" or present a stoic front. They actively manage the immense stress of their role through practices like therapy and setting boundaries. Suppressing emotions leads to burnout, whereas processing them leads to resilience and better decision-making for the entire team.

Instead of presenting your team's work yourself, have the person who did the work present it, regardless of their seniority. This provides them invaluable exposure and, more importantly, teaches them how to recover when challenged. This ability to recover quickly is a key driver of growth and confidence.

The key trait for scaling a company is ownership. To screen for it, ask candidates about their mistakes. A-players will admit a genuine flaw, like having trust issues that lead to micromanagement. B-players will offer a veiled brag or fake weakness, which is a major red flag.

To build immediate trust, Gryphon Investors kicks off portfolio company relationships with a "touchy-feely" session. Using personality assessments, the most senior Gryphon partner must share their own development plans and weaknesses, disarming the new management team and setting a tone of vulnerability and authenticity.

Prioritize candidates who have navigated difficult situations. They learn more from tough times than from being at a constantly successful company where mistakes might be masked by overall growth. Adversity builds crucial problem-solving skills and resilience that are invaluable to a growing organization.

Studies show executives who admit to past struggles, like being rejected from multiple jobs, are trusted more by employees. This vulnerability doesn't diminish their perceived competence and can significantly increase team motivation and willingness to work for them.

To create a truly safe culture, leaders must demonstrate vulnerability first. By proactively sharing personal struggles—like being a recovering alcoholic or having gone through trauma therapy—during the interview process, leaders signal from day one that mental health is a priority and that it's safe for employees to be open about their own challenges.

CEOs don't just appear on challenging podcasts for external publicity. A key, often overlooked, motivation is to demonstrate strength and competence to their own internal teams. Successfully navigating a tough interview proves to employees that their leader can handle pressure, something that can't be authentically conveyed in a controlled corporate setting.

To assess a candidate's true character and values, move beyond standard interview questions. Use unexpected, personal prompts like "What's something your parents taught you?" or "What was your first job?" These questions reveal foundational lessons, resilience, and personal drive, which are hard to gauge otherwise.