I had started an interior design company and received some notoriety when my work was highlighted in Architectural Digest magazine. I got a lot more clients and I had the revenue to bring on a management team and create a real company. Throughout the interview process I focused on people who really liked me. Yes, it was that simple. I really wanted to work with people who agreed with me because I thought if they trusted my vision then they would always be making the right decisions. I suppose they did make all the right decisions if I was right all of the time, but I’m not. Eventually we made various decisions around taxes and expansion plans that were simply wrong. Looking back on the people I interviewed, I could have hired others with that expertise, even though I didn’t like what they were saying. Recently I heard that Abraham Lincoln actually nominated his opponents to his cabinet, so that he could always hear contrarian’s views. Smart guy!

Make sure to hire smart people who disagree with you.