Showing up late, ignoring direction, and making coworkers miserable will end more careers than a lack of technical skill. We start with a deceptively simple line from Tom Hanks about what it takes to succeed at work: show up on time, know the text, and have an idea. Then we put it under a microscope and talk about what “the minimum” really looks like in modern workplaces where reliability and teamwork feel rarer than they should be. 

We share a real story from a program built to close a middle-skill workforce gap in Iowa. The state funded technical training, yet people still struggled to stay employed. Employers weren’t complaining about the certificate or the knowledge. They were describing behavioral breakdowns: not showing up, not following procedure, and constant conflict. That insight led to a practical approach centered on self-awareness, clear expectations, and accountability around four basic employability skills: show up, show up on time, do what you’re asked, and be easy to work with. 

From there, we get honest about the hardest leadership problem we see everywhere: toxic employees who produce results but damage the culture. We talk about why “fixing the jerk” is less effective than leading so the organization stops tolerating jerk behavior in the first place, and we address the real-world constraint leaders bring up all the time: “I can’t replace them.” If that’s true, we push for a plan instead of acceptance, with thoughtful action rather than reactive blowups. 

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