What kind of people should a leader or boss hire?

Rabbi Landau teaches a boss: “Don't hire people who think like you. Hire people who think for you where you can't.” A team of yes people feels comfortable, but it stops your growth.

He even turns the usual worry around. If you never have friction with your boss, he says, something is wrong. Just as the road resists the tire and that resistance moves the car forward, healthy disagreement is what moves a business forward.

The reason is that “your strength left unchecked eventually becomes your greatest weakness.” A leader cannot see his own shadow; he needs someone who can. As King Solomon says, “Barzel b'barzel yachad,” iron sharpens iron, and success is built by people who sharpen each other.

Going deeper: Rabbi Landau's teaching, level by level

Surface claim

Hire people who think for you where you can't, not people who think like you.

Fear, vulnerability, or tension

A boss naturally prefers yes people who confirm him, and then wonders why he stops growing.

Deepest human truth

No one can see his own shadow. Iron sharpens iron, and leaders grow through people who push back.

More questions from this teaching

• Why should I surround myself with people who challenge me?