Lloyd Thompson explains why hiring for skill over character creates chaos as your business scales. In this ScaleX™ Bitesize clip, Lloyd dives into one of the most common mistakes founders make as they grow: focusing on technical ability while neglecting values and character. He explains how this leads to misaligned hires, poor role fit, and founders feeling trapped by highly skilled individuals who don't truly belong in the business.

Lloyd also unpacks the concept of right people, right seats — why promoting top performers often backfires, and how clarity around vision and values is essential for building a scalable, healthy team.

KEY INSIGHTS:

• Hiring for skill without checking character leads to long-term problems

• Values alignment should be assessed before role competence

• Founders often feel "held hostage" by highly skilled but misaligned team members

• Promoting top performers doesn't mean they're right for leadership

• Many people are placed in roles they don't want or don't have capacity for

THE CRITICAL LESSON:

Scaling requires more than talent — it requires alignment. If people don't share your values or sit in the right roles, growth creates friction, not freedom.

As Lloyd explains, rewarding performance by promotion can unintentionally damage both the individual and the business.

PRACTICAL TAKEAWAYS FOR FOUNDERS AND LEADERS:

• Define your core values clearly before hiring or promoting

• Assess your team against values, not just performance

• Separate reward from promotion — not everyone should manage people

• Check whether people want the role, not just whether they're good at their current one

• Regularly review if team members are in the right seats

CONNECT WITH LLOYD THOMPSON

Website: https://virtualdoo.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloydt

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WATCH THE FULL EPISODE:

🔗 [Link to full Lloyd Thompson episode]

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