Ep. 102: Don't Just Hire People, Hire People-Geniuses

In this short but fiery episode, Ryan breaks down one of the most damaging habits in the workplace: promoting top performers into management without checking if they’re wired for people leadership. Discover what it means to be a people-genius — someone who lights up when others grow — and why coaching, empathy, and development are non-negotiables for any leader.

Ryan shares simple, powerful interview questions you can use to detect whether someone is energized by people leadership or secretly dreading it. If you’re serious about employee engagement, retention, and performance, this episode is your wake-up call.

🔑 Topics covered:

• What separates a good performer from a great manager
• Gallup’s research on natural leadership talent
• The energy gainer/drainer test for manager selection
• Why “being liked” matters more than you think
• How to stop confusing doing the work with leading people who do the work

Keywords: hiring managers, people genius, leadership talent, Gallup Q12, employee engagement, people leadership, manager selection, promoting managers, coaching employees, energy gainers and drainers