Business By Hormozi #174: Hire for Attitude, Train for Aptitude

Lena's Journey to Building a Winning Team

Lena had been a business owner for several years and had experienced the highs and lows of hiring the right people. Over time, she realized that while skills and experience were important, there was something even more essential in building a successful team: attitude. However, it wasn’t always easy to define what attitude truly meant in the context of hiring.

Lena’s breakthrough came when she was talking to her mentor, Jason, a seasoned entrepreneur with years of experience in scaling businesses. During their conversation, Jason shared an important perspective on hiring.

“Lena,” Jason said, “For clarity, attitude is just a bucketed term for a series of skills underneath it. People say hire for attitude and train for aptitude because you can teach someone to sell in three days, but you can’t teach someone to smile, be forgiving, show up on time, or ask questions… aka ‘attitude.’”

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The Importance of Attitude Over Skill

Lena took this advice to heart and started to rethink her hiring strategy. She realized that hiring someone with the right attitude meant bringing on individuals who had the emotional intelligence, resilience, and interpersonal skills needed to thrive in a team-oriented environment. These were qualities that couldn’t be taught in a short amount of time, but they could be nurtured and refined.

For example, Lena had hired a new sales associate named Rachel, who didn’t have much experience in sales but had a strong willingness to learn and a positive attitude. Rachel was eager to help, always showed up on time, and was quick to adapt to new situations. Within weeks, Rachel became one of the top performers on the team, not because she was the most experienced, but because she approached challenges with a growth mindset and a willingness to take on feedback.

Lena realized that hiring for attitude made all the difference. Attitude wasn’t just about being friendly or positive—it was about a person’s approach to learning, problem-solving, and collaboration. With the right attitude, individuals were more likely to overcome obstacles and adapt to change, which was crucial for business success.

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Training for Skills, Not Attitude

While attitude couldn’t be taught in the same way skills could, skills could be trained. Lena started investing more in training programs that focused on building the aptitude needed for the job. She found that when employees had the right attitude, they were eager to pick up new skills, and their potential for growth was limitless.

For example, Lena’s team underwent a series of customer service training workshops, where they learned everything from conflict resolution to effective communication. Even though the team was made up of individuals with varying skill levels, those with the right attitude thrived the most, quickly mastering new techniques because they were motivated and open to learning.

Lena’s business flourished as a result. She was able to focus her training efforts on developing her employees’ skills and providing them with the tools they needed to succeed. Meanwhile, the attitude of her team members kept morale high, and the workplace culture became more collaborative and supportive.

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The Takeaway: Hire for Attitude, Train for Skills

Lena’s story is a great reminder that when building a team, attitude is key. It’s not just about hiring people with a positive outlook, but about those who demonstrate core qualities like resilience, initiative, and a willingness to learn. Once you have the right people on board, you can invest in training them to develop the necessary skills and knowledge for success.

So, when it comes time to hire for your next role, remember: you can always teach someone the skills they need, but you can’t teach someone to have the right attitude. Hire for attitude, and let training develop their skills.