One of the most important decisions anyone will make is who they surround themselves with. Whether it is friends, family, or business partners, who you spend time with and build relationships with matters. If for no other reason than they contribute directly to the quality of your life. It goes without saying that you should be intentional about who you let in.

This week’s newsletter is about choosing the right people.

I had a conversation with my good friend Matt Warner recently that led me to think more deeply about this. We were discussing the Working Genius Framework and how businesses can apply it to put people in positions where they are more likely to succeed at work.

As someone who has spent the better part of my career helping small businesses grow, I’ve seen what choosing the right people can do. I’ve also seen what choosing the wrong people can do. It wouldn’t be dramatic to say that putting someone in the wrong seat in a growing business can be catastrophic to the business’s health and success.

Understanding What “Right” Means

I think people get too caught up in making the “right” decision. They want it to be perfect. I hate to break this to you, but you’re going to make bad decisions. That’s part of building anything meaningful.

A better approach is to make the best decision you can in the moment with the information you have and then learn from the result. That’s how small businesses should approach hiring.

No small business grows quickly without growing pains. You’re going to experience them either way, even if you hire all the “right” employees. That’s simply the nature of business. Instead of chasing perfection, focus on bringing in people who can help you navigate those growing pains responsibly and effectively.

This is where the Working Genius framework becomes practical. People have specific competencies. There are areas where they naturally thrive and feel energized. There are also areas they can perform in, but doing so consistently drains them.

Two simple questions come from that framework:

What are someone’s competencies? Which of those competencies energize them?

Why Getting It Right Matters

One of the things that bothers me is when people forget that a business is bigger than any one person. You can be the CEO, but that doesn’t mean you are more important than the business itself. If a business wants to grow and serve people well, every hiring decision carries weight.

In a small business, there isn’t a lot of margin for misalignment. When someone is in the wrong seat, the impact tends to spread beyond their individual responsibilities. Other team members adjust in ways that aren’t always visible at first. Expectations become less clear. Frustrations surface in subtle ways. Over time, the overall health of the organization reflects that mismatch.

Ego can also create unnecessary strain. There are too many instances where people allow their three-letter title to define their value. The last thing a growing organization needs is someone protecting status instead of supporting the mission. That environment makes it harder to move forward with trust and clarity.

At the same time, there are plenty of leaders with those same titles who elevate the entire organization because they understand their responsibility to the business first. The title itself is neutral. The alignment and mindset behind it are what determine the outcome.

So how do you know who’s who?

How to Get It Right

Getting this choice right can feel like a lot of pressure, especially in a growing business. And this isn’t just about bringing on a new CFO or CIO. This applies to every hire. You never know who is going to develop into someone who changes the direction of the organization.

In my mind, it comes down to a few foundational things.

Start with values. Do they demonstrate integrity? Do they follow through? Do they respect other people’s time and effort? Competence without character eventually creates tension.

Next, consider how their strengths fit within the existing team. A strong hire should strengthen what already exists while filling meaningful gaps. Hiring without that awareness often creates overlap or confusion.

Then look at the daily reality of the role. Is the work aligned with how they are wired? Can they sustain that responsibility over time without burning out? When someone spends most of their week operating in areas that drain them, performance eventually reflects it.

This ties directly back to the Working Genius framework. You need clarity on what type of Genius a specific role requires before you begin the search. When you understand the seat, you are far more equipped to evaluate the person.

Conclusion

The people you surround yourself with shape far more than your day-to-day experience. In business, they shape direction, decision-making, and the standard that becomes acceptable over time.

Small businesses are especially sensitive to this. Every person influences culture, execution, and accountability in ways that are difficult to measure but easy to feel. A thoughtful hiring decision strengthens trust and reinforces the kind of environment you are trying to create. A careless one introduces friction that often takes longer to repair than it did to create.

You cannot eliminate risk, and you cannot guarantee every hire will work out exactly as planned. What you can do is approach the decision with clarity. Be clear about the role. Be honest about the stage of your business. Be intentional about values and alignment.

When you consistently choose people who serve the mission above themselves and whose strengths match the responsibility in front of them, you give your organization a stronger foundation to grow from.

Be careful who you surround yourself with. That decision does more to determine the future of your business than most strategy sessions ever will.