Prioritizing a candidate's skills ('capacity') over their fit with the team ('chemistry') is a mistake. To scale culture successfully, focus on hiring people who will get along with their colleagues. The ability to collaborate and integrate is more critical for long-term success than a perfect resume.

To hire for traits over background, Mark Kosaglo suggests testing for coachability directly. Run a skill-based roleplay (e.g., discovery), provide specific feedback, and then run the exact same roleplay again. The key is to see if the candidate can actually implement the coaching, not just if they are open to receiving it.

The greatest performers, from athletes to companies, are not just the most talented; they are the best at getting better faster. An obsession with root-cause analysis and a non-defensive commitment to improvement is the key to reaching otherwise unachievable levels of success.

Leaders often feel they must have all the answers, which stifles team contribution. A better approach is to hire domain experts smarter than you, actively listen to their ideas, and empower them. This creates a culture where everyone learns and the entire company's performance rises.

When hiring, prioritize a candidate's speed of learning over their initial experience. An inexperienced but rapidly improving employee will quickly surpass a more experienced but stagnant one. The key predictor of long-term value is not experience, but intelligence, defined as the rate of learning.

Don't view positive feedback as simply a way to make someone feel good. Its primary purpose is to make a person consciously aware of what they are doing well. This awareness increases the consistency and frequency of that desired behavior, making them a better performer.

Elix mitigates the fear of 360-degree reviews by providing every full-time employee with an external coach. This structure ensures that critical feedback doesn't just feel exposing but is paired with professional guidance, turning potential blind spots into actionable development goals and fostering a true growth culture.

AT&T's CMO credits her father's success as an MLB pitcher to his intense coachability. He constantly adapted his technique based on scout feedback, from hiding his curveball tip at age 14 to changing his pitch grip in college. This shows that a willingness to adapt is crucial, regardless of talent level.

Annual or quarterly performance reviews are high-pressure, judgmental events that create fear. A more effective approach is to reframe management as coaching. This means providing frequent, trust-based feedback focused on developing an employee's long-term potential, rather than simply rating their past performance.