Hire for Character as Much as You Hire for Skill

Great Leaders Are Built on Character

There are so many traits that go into being a good leader or marketing leader that have nothing to do with marketing.

– Communication
– Self-awareness
– Judgement
– Maturity
– Empathy
– Emotional-regulation
– Humility
– Diplomacy
– Curiosity
– Adaptability
– Integrity
– Systems-thinking
– Patience
– Accountability
– Leadership

And the list goes on and on…

Great leadership isn’t just about their skills, strategy and data, it’s built on character.

A leader with great skills but poor character can cause a lot of damage.

When businesses look for leaders, they often focus on credentials, experience, and technical expertise, the tangible skills that make someone capable of doing the job. But capability often isn’t enough. For that, you need character.

Skills are what allow someone to perform a task. Character is what determines how they perform it, how they treat people, make decisions, and respond under pressure. A leader with great skills but poor character can cause a lot of damage (e.g. waste in budget, brand and cultural erosion, burnout and turnover, etc.).

Conversely, a leader with integrity, humility, and empathy can rally a team, earn respect, and turn even average talent into high-performing, loyal contributors.

Character Shapes Culture

In leadership roles, character isn’t just personal, it’s contagious. The way leaders speak to others, take responsibility for mistakes, or approach ethical dilemmas sets the tone for everyone below them. Teams don’t mirror skillsets; they mirror values. A company led by people of strong moral fiber naturally attracts like-minded talent and creates a workplace where collaboration and trust thrive.

Skills Can Be Taught, Character Cannot

You can train someone to use a new CRM, analyze a P&L, or manage ad budgets. But you can’t train honesty, empathy, or accountability. Those qualities are formed long before a person steps into a leadership role, and they define how that person uses their skills once they have them.

That’s why great hiring processes look beyond resumes. They include character assessments, value-based interviews, and real-world situational questions that reveal how someone behaves when things go wrong — not just when everything is going right.

The best leaders have both.

Of course, character without competence isn’t enough either. You still need someone who knows their craft, can execute strategy, and deliver results. But when forced to choose between brilliance without integrity and decency with potential, the long-term bet should always be on character. Because skill without principle is a liability. Character with drive is an investment.

Hiring for character is not a “nice-to-have.” It’s risk management. It’s culture protection. It’s brand preservation. In the end, skills are what a person does; character is who they are. And in leadership, who they are will always echo louder.