What Leaders Get Right and Wrong About First Impressions
By Craig Groeschel
Most leaders are pretty good at spotting obvious talent. The résumé checks out, the interview goes well, and the hire makes sense.
But the leaders who build truly exceptional teams aren’t just finding the obvious candidates. They’re finding the ones nobody else saw coming.
That takes two skills that seem like opposites: knowing when to trust your first impression, and knowing when not to.
Trust Your First Impression
Some of my best hires started with a 30-second gym conversation or a brief handshake. No formal process. Just a subtle interaction that signaled something more was there.
When you’ve led long enough, you develop a feel for potential. The drive that shows up even before someone has the chance to prove themselves.
That gut feeling is worth honoring. Most leaders second-guess it or talk themselves out of it entirely.
When you think you see something in someone, take the next step to find out.
Don’t overthink it. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Follow your instinct.
Don’t Trust Your First Impression
On the other side, your first impression can be wrong. You may not see someone’s full potential in a first meeting.
If you have a negative first impression, remember that they could be nervous. Maybe they’re naturally reserved. Or maybe they had something weighing on them that day.
The presence of nerves does not equal the absence of potential.
Most people keep conversations on the surface. The leaders who find talent others overlook are the ones willing to go three levels deeper.
Three Questions to Dig Deeper
Here’s how to dig beneath the surface with someone you’re getting to know:
Start with the obvious: What do you do for a living? Then go deeper.
- “What do you love about doing that?”
This is where you find heart. You’re looking for motivation, values, and what actually moves them beyond a basic job description.
- “You’re obviously good. What makes you good?”
Most people aren’t asked that question, and it can throw them off guard. But it allows them to open up and talk about what makes them special.
- “Where did that come from?”
This one gets to the story of their success, and even deeper, the story before their success. The thing that made them who they are today.
There’s treasure in people if you’re willing to dig for it. Don’t stay on the surface.
What Great Talent-Spotters Know
The leaders who build the strongest teams aren’t the ones with perfect instincts. They’re the ones who know what to do after the first impression.
Sometimes that means trusting the spark and making a call. Sometimes it means slowing down and finding what others might have walked right past.
Most leaders are obsessed with finding the right strategy. The best leaders are obsessed with finding the right people.
Your job isn’t just to notice potential. It’s to go looking for it.
What’s Next?
Finding the right person is hard. Hiring the wrong one is harder.
If you want to become a leader who hires right the first time, read this post and learn two principles for bringing the right
