Who Is Clay York? A Builder of People, Teams, and Kingdom Impact
You can Google leadership advice and find a hundred gurus and frameworks. But if you’ve landed here, maybe what you're looking for isn’t more content, it’s more clarity. Maybe you’re tired of complexity, shallow advice, or leadership that doesn’t match real life. Same here.
I’m Clay York.
I’ve been married 28 years to my high school sweetheart. We’ve raised two grown kids and still have one great teenager at home. I love golf, working outdoors, and I’m a fitness enthusiast, partly because I believe how we care for our bodies impacts our ability to lead others well.
But more than any title, what I really love is calling greatness out of others. I believe most people are far more capable than they think. I believe leadership is a calling. And I believe our businesses, organizations, and teams are meant to be Kingdom outposts that reflect purpose, excellence, and compassion.
🔥 Why I Lead This Way
My leadership journey really took off at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. I had a leader and a co-worker, who saw something in me that I didn’t yet see in myself. They called out greatness, refused to lower the standard, and gave me a foundation I still build on today.
It was also the first time I really started to trust what the Word said, that I was called to make an impact. That I didn’t have to do it alone. The Holy Spirit has never misled me. I’ve learned to trust Him while also honoring the wisdom of great mentors. Both have helped shape the kind of leader I am today and I want to do the same for others.
💡 What Makes Me Different
People often ask what sets me apart from other coaches or consultants. For me, it's simple:
I’m practical. I’m real. And I make leadership feel natural, not theoretical.
The systems I teach work because they’re rooted in experience. I’ve led teams in healthcare, sales, operations, done business consulting and now run operations at an experiential marketing company. I’ve hired, fired, launched new divisions, and rebuilt broken ones. I've managed tight timelines and even tighter budgets. I know what it feels like to carry the weight of results and people.
More importantly, I care. I love building teams. I love helping someone see something new in themselves. I love guiding managers to become leaders who truly earn the trust of their teams and build a culture that lasts.
🙏 A Kingdom Lens
This is about more than just leadership performance. It’s about impacting the Kingdom.
Most churches today are full of believers and seekers. But the truly lost? The ones running from God or too hurt to show up on Sunday, they’re in the marketplace. That’s where I feel called to lead. That’s the battleground I want to show up on.
Jesus was a marketplace minister. So were His first followers. Being a pastor or full-time ministry leader isn’t more sacred than the call to build teams and steward people in business. Both matter. Both are sacred. And I believe leadership done right takes territory back for the Lord.
That’s why I started Leadership Made Simple. To make leadership real again. To give people tools that work. And to help those who lead carry the weight in a way that builds others.
📖 Life Verses That Shape Me
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” – Luke 6:31
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” – Matthew 20:26
The Responsibility of Leading the Difficult-but-Brilliant
Not every hard conversation in leadership comes from underperformance. Sometimes it comes from excellence, with an edge.
We’ve all worked with someone who’s incredibly sharp, often the smartest person in the room. They can see problems before they form. They can sniff out bad process, bad planning, or bad thinking from a mile away. And more often than not, they’re right.
But here’s the challenge: Being right doesn’t guarantee you’ll be heard. Being brilliant doesn’t guarantee you’ll build trust.
And if that person doesn’t know how to lead themselves well, they will lose their influence, no matter how good they are.
Leadership Is Stewardship, Not Control
As leaders, our responsibility isn’t to avoid people like this or write them off when they ruffle feathers. Our responsibility is to steward their gift.
That starts with empathy.
Most highly analytical, critical team members don’t want to be negative. They see broken systems. They carry high standards. They often care deeply, but don’t always know how to package that care in a way that builds others up.
What they need isn’t a muzzle. What they need is a mirror. Someone who can say:
“You’re not wrong—but how you deliver it might be.”
“Your insight is a strength—but your tone is undermining your impact.”
Simon Sinek says:
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.”
That means we don’t throw people out when they make things hard. We sit with them. We help them understand the impact they’re having on the room. And we remind them: Your words carry weight, use them wisely.
Create Space for Growth
A critical thinker doesn’t need coddling, but they do need clarity.
Show them their feedback is valuable, but only if it builds, not breaks.
Ask them how they want to be remembered: as someone who spoke truth, or someone who moved people forward.
Give them guardrails. Coach the tone, the timing, and the “how” behind the “what.”
They don’t need to be tamed. They need to be trained.
The Bottom Line
It’s easy to lead people who are cheerful, agreeable, and easy to manage.
But leadership isn’t about ease. It’s about responsibility.
And some of the most powerful transformations you’ll ever see, some of the most loyal, high-impact people you’ll ever develop, will start out as the hardest to coach.
The world doesn’t need more leaders who walk away from people. The world needs more leaders who stay in the hard conversations and see potential when others only see problems.
#LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #SimonSinekStyle #PeopleOverPerformance #ServantLeadership #TeamCulture #LeadWithPurpose #CoachingMatters #InfluenceOverAuthority
The Performance Review Mindset Shift
Most managers don’t love doing quarterly performance reviews. I get it, time is tight, priorities pile up, and if you’re already doing weekly 1:1s, it’s easy to think, “We’ve already covered everything, right?”
But here’s the truth: High performers crave feedback. No matter their title. No matter their tenure. We all want to know how we’re doing and more importantly, what our leader really thinks.
The best leaders I’ve worked under didn’t just send me a review to read. They walked me through it. They shared the why behind the words. It wasn’t just a task, it was a moment. A chance to affirm, challenge, and align.
So how do we make performance reviews simple, meaningful, and scalable?
Here are 3 keys:
1. Teach Your Team to Own Their Own Review
The best team members write phenomenal self-evaluations. They know their KPIs. They’ve been listening in 1:1s. They know where they’re winning and where they’re not.
If you coach your team to write strong, honest, detailed self-reviews, you won’t be starting from scratch. You’ll have a clear lens into who’s truly invested in their own growth. That’s where your energy should go. Not in writing long reviews for people who won’t put the work into themselves.
2. Use AI and 1:1 Follow-Ups to Make it Easy
I use AI tools to track all my 1:1 follow-ups. When review time comes, I’m not scrambling, I have a full log of goals, wins, gaps, and progress. (See my previous blog on the power of 1:1s and follow-up emails.)
If you’re having real conversations throughout the quarter, the review isn’t a surprise—it’s a summary. No one should be blindsided. Everyone knows where they stand and has had time to course-correct.
3. Tighten Your Rating Standards
The stronger your team gets, the tighter your scale should get.
In a healthy organization:
A 2 means “meets expectations.” It’s the job description. It’s table steaks... the price of admission onto the team.
A 3–5 is reserved for people who contribute above and beyond, who prepare for PRs, submit ideas, participate in meetings, and elevate the room.
This takes time. Moving to a culture of radical clarity and accountability takes years, not because the tools are hard, but because the transparency is.
Start With You
If this feels like a lot, here’s the challenge: Do this for two quarters yourself. Track your 1:1s. Use AI. Write your own self-review. Set the tone. Then, and only then, start requiring it from your team.
When you model it, people follow. When you reinforce it, they grow. And when enough people do it, your organization starts to move forward.
#LeadershipDevelopment #PerformanceReviews #LeadByExample #ManagerTips #PeopleDevelopment #OrganizationalCulture #MiddleManagement #EmployeeEngagement #RadicalClarity #CoachingCulture #LeadershipMatters #TeamAccountability #SelfLeadership #MentorMindset
Leading from the Middle: The Hardest Seat in the House
I’ve spent years leading from the middle and leading teams of middle managers. I’ve watched talented people question their competence simply because the stress, doubt, and conflicting expectations felt overwhelming.
If that’s you, let me say this plainly: You’re not weak. You’re not incompetent. You’re in the middle—and the middle is hard.
Why the Middle Feels Heavy
Dual Allegiance You answer upward while defending your team downward. That tug-of-war drains mental and emotional energy that could be fueling real progress.
Conflicting Truths Senior leaders often have a 100,000-foot view; frontline teams live in the weeds. You stand in the fog between them, translating strategy into executable reality.
Visibility of Blind Spots In the middle, everyone sees (and points out) your gaps. At the top, gaps can hide; in the trenches, gaps are not forgiven, they’re announced on a megaphone.
What Doesn’t Work
Doing nothing. Silence is not neutral—it erodes trust on both sides.
Trying to please everyone. You’ll end up pleasing no one and exhausting yourself.
Endless neutrality. Delay feels safe until momentum stalls and credibility evaporates.
My Anchor Points
Character first. WWJD? Will my decision age well for everyone involved?
Mentors matter. Outside perspective keeps the picture honest.
Prayer for clarity and courage. The Holy Spirit shows what I’m missing and nudges me to act boldly.
A Hopeful Truth
The middle is the hardest place to lead. But if you can lead there, you can lead anywhere. You won’t always win, you won’t always be right, and you certainly won’t make everyone happy. Yet every time you navigate that tension with integrity, you’re forging the muscles you’ll need when you step out of the middle and into the top seat. So take heart. The stress you feel isn’t proof you’re failing; it’s proof you’re carrying weight that matters. Carry it well, and you’ll emerge a leader worth following—no matter where you sit on the org chart.
Keep leading, keep learning, and remember: mastering the middle today prepares you to shape the future tomorrow.
Getting the Right People in the Right Seats
As we step into 2025, many of us in formal leadership roles will be looking to hire new talent. Of course, we want to do all we can to retain our top performers, our A’s and B’s. But sometimes turnover is unavoidable, and it falls into two categories:
Regrettable Turnover: Losing an A or B player. You feel the void.
Un-regrettable Turnover: Losing someone who isn’t performing at the desired level, which creates an opportunity to put the right person in the right seat on the bus.
Have You Stack-Ranked Your Team?
If there are people on your team who wouldn’t be considered regrettable losses, here are a few leadership responsibilities to consider:
Transparency & Candid Conversations
Be honest about where each employee stands: Are they an A, B, or C player and why?
If they don’t know, shame on us as leaders. As the book Crucial Conversations says, “If you don’t talk it out, you act it out.” Open, honest feedback is essential, otherwise your frustration will manifest itself.
Set Them Up for Success
Double check your training programs and KPIs to make sure every team member has what they need to excel. Are you measuring the right metrics? Are you giving them the right tools?
Right Person, Wrong Seat?
Sometimes an employee is the right person for your organization, but in the wrong role. Talent management is about placing people where they can thrive.
Think of Moneyball: Billy Beane excelled at finding hidden gems and shifting players into roles where they were most effective. It’s a powerful lesson in seeing talent from a fresh perspective. If you have not seen this movie, check it out! Lot's of business application here.
Hiring or Backfilling in 2025
If you do need to replace or backfill, consider how you’ll do it better this time:
Behavioral-Based Interviewing: This is a powerful way to assess future performance based on past behavior. I’ll dive deeper into this method in my next blog.
Remember the Opportunity Cost
Every employee gives up other opportunities to join (or remain in) your organization. They’re investing in you just as much as you invest in them. That calls for mutual loyalty and respect.
The Basics of Situational Leadership
I have been reflecting on Situational Leadership lately, specifically, the challenge of matching the right leadership style to the right scenario and to each team member’s level of readiness. I have come to realize the importance of not only assessing a person’s competency and experience, but also factoring in their onboarding and training within our organization, as well as the stakes of the situation itself.
Below is how I see Situational Leadership playing out in real life, with insights based on real-world examples. If you are leading a team or managing a critical project, these perspectives may help you steer your people in the right direction without running the risk of being labeled a “micromanager.”
1. Revisiting the Basics of Situational Leadership
Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model (often called the SLII model) outlines four main leadership “styles” (S1 through S4), each paired with a team member’s developmental level:
Directing (S1): High directive, low supportive—often necessary when someone is brand-new to the role and needs clear, step-by-step guidance.
Coaching (S2): High directive, high supportive—still involves providing guidance, but also includes more two-way communication and encouragement.
Supporting (S3): Low directive, high supportive—team members possess the skills but may need confidence-building and emotional support.
Delegating (S4): Low directive, low supportive—ideal for high performers or experienced team members who can handle tasks on their own with minimal oversight.
It is widely accepted that “you can’t lead everyone the same way,” but it is crucial to include additional layers in the assessment:
How thoroughly has this person been onboarded within our company?
What is the nature of the situation—low-stakes vs. high-stakes?
2. Competency vs. Organizational Familiarity
One thing we have learned is that you can hire someone who is incredibly talented, with years of industry experience, yet they may still need extra direction (S1 or S2) if they are not fully oriented to our organizational processes. For instance, we once brought in a supervisor who had an impressive track record at a different company. Even though this individual was highly skilled in managerial tasks, they were completely new to our internal systems, tools, and client expectations. Because they were starting from square one within our structure, we recognized the need to provide more directed leadership in the beginning essentially an S2 (Coaching) approach:
Why S2 vs. S4? They already knew how to supervise teams, so we did not need to micromanage them across the board. However, they still needed to understand how we handle performance evaluations, day-to-day staff management, and departmental communication. We granted them the freedom to make certain supervisory decisions while staying closely involved to ensure they were comfortable with our style of employee engagement and reporting.
Communication is key: We had an honest conversation early on: “We know you are skilled and bring a lot of experience. But you are also new here, so we will be checking in a bit more frequently for the next few months. It is not micromanaging; we just want to ensure you have every resource you need and that the team is aligned around your leadership.” This transparency spared us misunderstandings and helped the new supervisor trust that our involvement was about support, not control.
3. Factoring in High-Stakes Situations
Just as important as a person’s skill level is the urgency and importance of the situation. We have experienced this firsthand in scenarios with high-end clients on the verge of leaving if certain critical milestones were not met by non-negotiable deadlines. As much as we tend to prefer a more hands-off, empowering leadership style (S3 or S4), high-stakes projects often demand a more directive approach. Why?
High-Stakes Outcomes: Failure could mean losing major revenue and a valuable business relationship.
Time Constraint: There was no slack in the timeline—missing the deadline was not an option.
Team Composition: Part of the team might be new or still learning our organization’s processes.
In such scenarios, S1 (Directing) or S2 (Coaching) becomes warranted even for seasoned team members because the margin for error is slim. This does not mean eroding trust or initiative. Rather, it involves providing crystal-clear objectives, more frequent status checks, and rapid decision-making support. We have found success by spelling out tasks and deadlines in a more granular fashion than usual:
Clear Milestones: “Here is what needs to be done by the end of today; here is what we will accomplish by tomorrow; here is exactly when we will hold our progress check.”
Active Oversight: We remain available in real-time (via messaging, calls, or short video check-ins) to remove any roadblocks.
Expectation-Setting: To avoid the “micromanagement” label, we explain to the team: “Because this deadline is critical and cannot slip, we will be checking in more frequently. This is not about a lack of trust we simply want to offer immediate support if something goes off track.”
Once the deadline is met and the high-stress period subsides, we pivot back toward a more S3 or S4 approach.
4. Clarity to Avoid the Micromanagement Trap
A common question is: “How can we lead at S1 or S2 levels without appearing overbearing?” The answer often lies in how we communicate our intentions. If someone is at a lower developmental level perhaps they are brand-new or still building confidence here are some tips to keep the atmosphere positive and constructive:
Set the Stage Early: Onboarding is the perfect opportunity to explain why we will be more hands-on. Emphasize that it is about ensuring they have the right tools, knowledge, and support to succeed.
Stay Solutions-Focused: When checking in, prioritize removing obstacles and guiding rather than scrutinizing.
Offer Encouragement: Provide plenty of positive feedback when they do things right. This helps them see our guidance as supportive rather than micromanaging.
Discuss Growth Trajectory: Let them know the plan. “Once you have a handle on X, Y, and Z, we will move you into a more autonomous position.” Demonstrating that there is a clear path to S3 and S4 can be highly motivating.
5. Bringing It All Together
Situational Leadership is all about knowing when to ramp up direction and when to step back and empower. A person’s competence and commitment level is important, but so is their familiarity with our processes and culture. And sometimes, the situation’s urgency (like time-sensitive deliverables or precarious client relationships) justifies a more directive style, even if we typically prefer more autonomy.
Key Takeaways:
Assess readiness in context including how well each person is onboarded and trained in our organization.
Consider the stakes and urgency a high-risk scenario often requires a more directive style.
Communicate transparently about why we are taking a certain leadership approach—help people see the difference between leadership support and micromanagement.
Shift gears as people develop our ultimate goal is to move individuals toward greater autonomy (S3 or S4), but we must ensure they are set up for success first.
Remember: The most effective step is to speak openly with team members. Let them know why we are leading the way we are—whether that is hands-on or more hands-off. That mutual understanding and context often makes the difference between a team that simply follows orders and a team that truly believes we have their best interests at heart.
I would love to hear your thoughts on Situational Leadership and how you use this mindset and cascade this to your front line leaders.
The Power of 1:1s for Any Leader (Even When You Don’t Nail It Every Time)
It all begins with an idea.
Whether you’re stepping into leadership for the first time or you’ve been doing it for a while, one of the most powerful habits you can build or rebuild is consistent 1:1 meetings with your team.
Not perfect ones. Not always on time. And yes, sometimes you’ll have to cancel and reschedule. But consistent.
Your calendar speaks louder than your title. When you consistently create space for people, to listen to them, encourage, clarify, and challenge, you’re doing more than managing. You’re stewarding.
And stewardship is a Kingdom principle.
God places people under our leadership for a season and a reason. That means the person across from you in a 1:1 isn’t a project. They’re not a deliverable or a to-do list item. They are a person with purpose and your only agenda is to help them become the best version of themselves if that’s what they desire.
Sometimes that means listening. Sometimes that means challenging them to believe in themselves. And often, it just means being present because that alone creates the foundation for transformation.
People are not projects. Relationship always precedes performance.
I’ve seen this firsthand: performance improves over time when people feel safe, supported, and challenged in relationship. Not every week. Not always on your timeline. But consistently, over time performance follows trust.
That’s why 1:1s are sacred. They’re not just updates. They’re opportunities:
To speak life into someone.
To build clarity and alignment.
To call out their strengths.
To model integrity and consistency.
To display a Kingdom mindset that values people over productivity.
Here’s what I’ve learned along the way:
Follow-up matters. A short email recap after a 1:1 drives clarity, accountability, and shows respect for the conversation.
Repetition brings reinforcement. People need to hear things more than once — in a meeting, in an email, and in real action.
Leadership is less about answers and more about presence.
And truthfully I don’t always get it right. Sometimes I show up distracted. Sometimes I miss a week. But I’ve learned that faithful presence beats polished performance every time.
Leadership is seasonal. You won’t lead the same people forever. But while they’re under your care, steward their time, trust, and potential like it was given to you by God, because it was.
Whether you’re new to leading or you’ve been doing it for years, don’t underestimate what God can do through small, repeated acts of intentionality.
Leadership isn’t about control, it’s about Kingdom stewardship. It’s not about perfect outcomes, it’s about showing up consistently with love, truth, and grace.
Avodah: Work, Worship, and Service Sacred Call to Lead
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There’s a single Hebrew word used for work, worship and service in the Bible, Avodah.
In one single word, God connects what we do with our hands to how we praise with our hearts.
For years, we’ve built a false divide between the sacred and the secular. The pulpit is where “ministry” happens, and the office or job site is where “business” gets done. But that’s not the model Jesus gave us. He didn’t build His church from a stage. He built it in the streets, the boats, the tax offices, and around dinner tables. He used the marketplace as His mission field.
And I believe He still does.
The Marketplace as a Mission Field
Let’s be honest: seekers will find seeker-friendly churches. Believers will find places to be fed. But the truly lost?
They’re not walking into a church. They’re showing up to your meeting.
They’re working on your team.
They’re delivering your packages, designing your projects, or sharing a cubicle wall.
That means you may be the only reflection of Christ they ever see.
This is the sacred opportunity of marketplace leadership. And it’s not about preaching, posting scriptures, or hosting Bible studies during lunch breaks (though God can use those, too). Kingdom leadership looks like:
Living with integrity when no one’s watching.
Speaking life into someone who’s struggling at home.
Showing grace when someone fails.
Setting high standards, but offering second chances.
Seeing people not as assets or roles—but as souls.
Stewarding the People Under Your Direction
Leadership is stewardship.
If God has placed people under your direction, you’ve been entrusted with more than tasks and outcomes. You’ve been entrusted with people. Real people—with goals, dreams, trauma, and talents. People who may never hear a sermon but are watching yours every day, through your life.
The question is: are we cultivating them like the good soil they are?
When we stop seeing people as projects and start seeing them as assignments from God, everything changes. We no longer lead from pride, pressure, or performance. We lead from a place of love and responsibility, knowing that our Avodah—our work—is a form of worship when done unto the Lord.
What Kingdom Business Is Not
Let’s also be clear about what a Kingdom business is not.
It’s not just a company that writes checks to nonprofits.
It’s not a trophy for how spiritual you appear.
It’s not a business that quotes Scripture while mistreating its team.
A Kingdom business starts with caring for the people right under your nose.
Because if your team isn’t loved, seen, developed, and led well—nobody outside your four walls will care what your company is funding or posting.
This Is the Call
You don’t need a title in a church to be in full-time ministry.
If you're a manager, business owner, team lead, or executive—you’re in ministry.
God sees your Avodah. He designed it.
And your work—when done in love, integrity, and service—is as sacred as any pulpit.
Let’s live and lead like it.
Clay York
leadership made simple Kingdom Leadership | Lean Ops | Culture Builder
clay2024@myyahoo.com
When Things Break Down: Don’t Blame the People First
It all begins with an idea.
Every organization experiences breakdowns like missed deadlines, quality issues, safety incidents, or frustrated clients. When that happens, the natural instinct is to point to the person. But before you go there, stop and ask three critical questions:
1. Do we have a clearly defined process? If there’s no documented standard, there’s no fair expectation. You can’t hold people accountable to something that doesn’t exist or isn’t clear.
2. Is the process broken—or just not followed? If the process works, have we trained the team? And more importantly—are we observing the process regularly? You have to inspect what you expect. Direct observation reveals what’s really happening, not just what’s on paper.
3. What is the cultural norm? Even with a good process, the culture may have drifted. Is the process actually followed or has it been left on a shelf while people do what’s fastest or most familiar? If everyone is doing it their own way, then the breakdown is systemic, not individual.
When a manager reacts punitively without confirming these things, they’re operating from outcome bias, judging based on the result alone. That builds a reactive, outcome-based culture instead of a process-driven one. And process always wins in the long run.
The real danger? The Swiss cheese effect, when multiple small misses that seem harmless align to create a major failure. It’s rare, but costly and sometimes dangerous. And it usually exposes gaps that have existed for a while, just never all at once.
That’s why consistently valuing the process and directly observing your 5–7 critical workflows is essential. If you want to stop chasing the same issues over and over, start by shifting the culture: from blaming people to inspecting process.
Here’s the challenge: If you’re a front-line manager or leader, choose 5–7 of your most critical processes this month.
Inspect them against the standard.
Evaluate if the standard is still right.
Confirm training is current.
Ask what your culture is tolerating.
Then start celebrating and rewarding process adherence—not just outcomes. Because sustained performance lives in the process, not in the exception.
Inspect What You Expect: Why Standard Work Isn’t Micromanagement
It all begins with an idea.
Let’s get one thing straight: holding people accountable to a standard isn’t micromanagement.
In Lean, we talk a lot about “Standard Work.” Not because we want to rob people of creativity, but because we want to define the one best way to do something. That’s where creativity starts, not ends.
Here’s the reality: Without clear expectations and a simple system to inspect them, confusion wins. People default to personal preference, tribal knowledge, or best guesses. And the customer feels it.
I have seen this across industries. A call center team that doesn’t know how to start or close a customer interaction will give 12 different versions of service, some good, some... not. A hiring manager with no standard interview guide will base hiring decisions on gut feelings. A fabrication crew with no consistent morning checklist will miss the same steps over and over again.
Inspecting what you expect doesn’t mean standing over someone’s shoulder, it means making the invisible visible.
It means:
We agree on how we start the day.
We know what a great interview sounds like.
We can walk the floor or listen to a project management call and know if we’re on or off standard.
When a leader checks in on this, it’s not because they don’t trust the team, it’s because they care about the customer and want to empower the team with clarity.
I have heard it put this way, “Creativity is welcome in the improvement of the standard, not in random deviation from it.” Or, if your team wants to do it better, that’s Lean. If they just want to do it differently, that’s chaos.
So next time you hear “Isn’t that micromanaging?” try this response:
“No. It’s leading with clarity. I inspect what I expect, and I expect us to get better together.”
Hire Tough, Manage Easy: The Hiring Process Matters
It all begins with an idea.
I’m not sure why I was so blessed to learn this lesson early in my career, but I was. Maybe it was my athletic background and the constant reminder that the makeup of your team matters. How much focus our coaches put on team member selection. Or perhaps it was because one of the first leadership books I read was Monday Morning Leadership, where I first encountered the phrase “Hire Tough, Manage Easy.” Either way, it’s proven true time and time again in my leadership journey.
One of the biggest surprises for me has been how many leaders have zero process when it comes to hiring. These are people who love systems and data for finances, strategy, marketing…yet, when it’s time to hire, they rely on “gut feelings” or a few seat-of-the-pants interview questions. They’ll tell you, “I’m excellent at reading people,” but then later admit their hires haven’t panned out the way they expected, more times than not.
A single bad hire can be incredibly costly. Some estimates suggest that replacing a salaried employee can cost up to two times that employee’s annual salary when you factor in:
Recruiting expenses
Time spent interviewing and onboarding
Lost productivity for the team and the manager
The potential negative impact on customer relationships
On top of the hard dollar expenses, there’s the distraction, drain on morale, and the extra load on everyone else who must cover the gaps left by someone who wasn’t the right fit. In other words, a bad hire doesn’t just cost money it costs energy and momentum.
Behavior-Based Interviewing: The Game Changer
About 12 or 15 years ago, I was introduced to Behavior-Based Interviewing (BBI). Which teaches a structured model for asking questions that focus on past behaviors rather than hypothetical situations. The core philosophy is Past behavior is one of the best predictors of future performance.
Instead of asking, “What would you do if…” you ask, “Tell me about a time when…” You then drill down with follow up questions like:
Situation: What was happening? What was your goal or responsibility?
Behavior/Action: What specific steps did you take?
Result/Outcome: What was the outcome? What did you learn?
This approach uncovers actual examples of how a candidate thinks and operates, rather than letting them sail through on polished interview responses. Often, you can quickly tell if someone is simply a great “interview performer” rather than an actual high performer. You get better evidence, more clarity, and a fuller view of how they’ll show up on the job.
When you have multiple strong candidates, BBI helps you compare apples to apples. You can see how each person behaves in similar situations, making it easier to decide which candidate will be the best fit.
Adding the “5 C’s” to the Mix
In addition to BBI, I also rely on what I call the 5 C’s to guide final hiring decisions, which I learned from my pastor at a leadership conference years ago:
Character
Competence
Chemistry
Commitment
Capacity (sometimes referred to as “Capacity for Growth”)
These criteria have helped me consistently identify solid hires who not only perform well from day one but also keep adding value over time.
Bringing It All Together
Using a structured Behavior-Based Interviewing process combined with a clear framework like the 5 C’s ensures you’re covering your bases:
Ask questions that reveal real life behaviors and experiences.
Filter candidates against Character, Competence, Chemistry, Commitment, and Capacity.
Take a systematic approach to evaluating each candidate’s responses rather than winging it. Meaning take notes and meet as a team after the interview with others to discuss, in real time.
Yes, it’s true that “hiring tough” can take more time and effort upfront. But managing easy is the payoff. When you hire people who fit your team, show integrity, demonstrate competence, and commit to growing with you, everything else about managing becomes infinitely simpler.
What has been your experience with Behavior-Based Interviewing or other structured hiring methods? Have you found a certain set of questions or an approach that consistently helps you uncover whether someone is the right fit? I’d love to hear your tips, or any other tools you’ve used to bring the right people onto your team.
Pause, Pray, Pivot: A Simple Shift For The Better
It all begins with an idea.
Sometimes, life hands you a moment that changes how you see everything, your leadership, your relationships, your thoughts. Recently, our CEO and owner had one of those moments, and it all started with a conversation with Bob Beaudine, the author of 2 Chairs. I highly recommend this book, it’s a game-changer. Bob shared a concept so simple, yet so profound, that it stuck with our CEO and has become something we’re all striving to live out daily: Pause, Pray, Pivot.
When our CEO shared this with us, he wasn’t just giving us a phrase. He was giving us a tool, a way to slow down and shift in moments when we’d typically react out of habit, frustration, or stress.
Here’s the heart of it:
1. Pause Before jumping in to solve a problem or react to a situation, pause. Take a breath. Leadership isn’t about fixing everything yourself; it’s about empowering those closest to the work to step up. This pause gives you space to evaluate: Is this mine to solve? Or is this a chance for someone else to grow?
2. Pray No matter what you believe, there’s something grounding about taking a moment to center yourself. For me, that means a quick prayer—seeking clarity, wisdom, and patience. It’s a reset button, a reminder that I’m not in this alone. For you, it might be taking a mindful moment to reflect.
3. Pivot This is the power move. After pausing and praying, pivot. Choose a response that leads to better outcomes rather than default reactions. Whether it’s delegating a work challenge instead of taking it on yourself or responding with grace at home after a long day, this shift changes everything.
This isn’t just a leadership hack, it’s a life shift. I’ve realized how much of a difference it makes in my thoughts, too. Our minds are powerful, and it’s easy to let negative self talk take the wheel: "I’m not doing enough," "I should’ve handled that better." But those moments are the perfect time to PPP. When those thoughts creep in, Pause. Pray. Pivot. Replace those inner critiques with something more constructive: "I’m learning," "I’m capable," "I’m growing."As leaders, we can’t pour into others if our own tanks are empty. If we’re constantly reacting, overextending, or criticizing ourselves, we’ll run dry. But when we PPP, we refill. We gain clarity. We respond thoughtfully instead of reacting instinctively. And those small shifts, those 1-degree changes, can create massive ripple effects in our teams, our families, and even in our own sense of peace and purpose.
Write these three words down. Put them on your desk, your fridge, wherever you need the reminder: Pause. Pray. Pivot. You’ll be amazed at what happens when you do. Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that have the biggest impact.I would love to hear how others incorporate this concept and how it impacts your leadership and mindset.
My Approach to Vision and Goal-Setting
It all begins with an idea.
I’ve always enjoyed the time between Christmas and New Year. It’s like the world hits “pause,” creating a perfect window to reflect on the past year and plan for the one ahead. For me, this season is an annual tradition—both at work and in my personal life—where I write down my goals in a formal way. I’ve discovered there’s something uniquely powerful about committing your vision to paper. In fact, studies suggest that people who write down their goals are significantly more likely to achieve them compared to those who merely think about them.
But simply writing down your goals isn’t enough. As John Maxwell famously said, “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” Turning those dreams into reality requires a plan—broken down into practical, daily steps. We can’t just list our aspirations and hope the creator of the universe does the rest. Instead, we need to break our goals into bite-size chunks and chip away at them consistently. For instance, if your goal is to get healthier, you might resolve to do workout each morning or count carbs and protein. Small, consistent actions build the momentum that leads to big achievements.
Biblical Wisdom As Habakkuk 2:2 reminds us: “Write the vision; make it plain… so he may run who reads it.” This underscores the importance of clarity. When you can see your vision right in front of you, and it’s easy to understand, you’re more likely to run toward it with purpose.
The Vision (Prayer) Board
Over the years, I’ve discovered an extremely effective method that has helped me and many others stay focused on our goals: a vision board, or as I prefer to call it, a “prayer board.” Here’s how I use it:
Gather Your Images Identify tangible visuals for each of your goals. Is it a picture of your kids standing at their college graduation? Print it out. Thinking of remodeling your kitchen? Find an image online of the exact design you want. Planning to travel somewhere specific? Grab a photo of that place.
Create a Focal Point Pin these images onto a corkboard in your office or any space where you’ll see them daily. The idea is to have constant, visual reminders of where you’re heading.
Daily Check-Ins Each day, look at your board and ask yourself: “Am I doing the kinds of activities that will lead me toward these goals? What steps should I take right now to move the needle?” This daily reflection aligns your short-term actions with your long-term vision.
Prayer and Intention If faith is a part of your life, use this time to pray over your goals. Even if prayer isn’t part of your routine, taking a moment each day to affirm your intentions can be incredibly grounding. It helps transform your vision from a distant “someday” into a purposeful, current pursuit.
Why Focus Matters
One of the biggest benefits of a vision (prayer) board is the way it sharpens your focus. In a world filled with distractions, we can easily get lost in the “weeds” of our to-do lists and social media feeds. By contrast, having a constant, visual reminder of the bigger picture pulls us back toward what truly matters. Zig Ziglar says, “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days.” When you know your direction—and keep it in front of you—you’re far more likely to make progress, day by day.
Putting It All Together
Set Clear Goals. Write them down. Make them concrete.
Break Them Down. Draft a plan that translates your goals into small, achievable steps.
Create a Vision (Prayer) Board. Keep images of your goals front and center.
Take Consistent Action. Check in daily and adjust your plan as needed.
Keep the Faith. Whether you pray or simply set intentions, staying mentally aligned with your vision fuels perseverance.
As I head into the new year, my prayer board is already evolving with images and ideas. This approach has given me clarity, motivation, and a practical roadmap, year after year. I hope this inspires you to step confidently into your own future, one carefully planed goal at a time. Here’s to an incredible new year ahead!