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Avoid This Person At All Costs

Low-conviction partners are poisonous.

Dispatch Risk & Resilience 1 min read Brendan Hart
Avoid This Person At All Costs

Earlier this week, I described a straightforward test for assessing potential long-term partners.

But what type of partner should you avoid?

Low-conviction partners.

Low-conviction partners are poisonous because innovation doesn’t happen through general motion. Instead, it takes high-conviction action — the ten-percent extra effort, the purpose-driven attitude, and the stop-at-nothing sales pitch.

Because low-conviction people understand their inherent weaknesses, they mask it. They will complete work, but not with enough sharpness to make a difference. They will take calls, but the person on the other end will sense their distance. They will say yes — and yes, and yes — but won’t commit themselves to excellence. They will do just enough to get by, but never enough to get ahead.

To build a great team, avoid low-conviction partners.

Brendan Hart

About the Author

Brendan Hart

Brendan Hart is an economist, entrepreneur, and executive advisor with two decades of experience building organizations and leading transformation across technology, defense, human capital, and government. USMC. Dartmouth. UVA-Darden.