One of the mistakes that most managers make when hiring is that we tend to like to hire in our own image. We enjoy being with people who think like us because they are ‘easy’ to work with. Unfortunately, (and this is backed by mountains of research) homogeneous teams don’t win the most. The teams that win the most are teams that are diverse. And I’m not just talking gender or racially diverse. I’m talking approach and thinking diverse as well. And let’s face it, when people think differently than you do, that can be difficult. Most teams fall into conflict because they start focusing on how other people ‘don’t do things the way they should’ vs. the ways that those differences complement and strengthen the overall result. So my advice is to embrace those people who drive you crazy. They’re probably bringing something to the party that you just don’t have and if you can see that as an asset instead of a liability, you’re destined to be stronger for it.
#leadershiptruth
