Podcast Episode 044 – Interview with Alec Broadfoot

by

In this episode of the Business Broken to Smokin’ Podcast:
Lodestone True North’s Head Coach Mark Whitmore interviews Alec Broadfoot, CEO of VisionSpark https://visionsparksearch.com/
They discuss Alec’s new book, “Revealed! Insider Secrets To Hiring Your #2 Leader” https://visionsparksearch.com/alecs-book/ , finding second in command folks, interviews, business operating systems and a whole lot more!

0:00 Intro
1:22 Shoutout to Sal Filardi


1:31 Book reference: Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton
2:01 What is Second In Command? – “Someone who is going to run the business for the Visionary”
3:48 Where/when do you see an organization needing to hire Second in Command or C suite?
6:52 Does it work to bump up the office manager into Second in Command? Good question to ask: Can this person take my business to the next level?
8:29 Background information on VisionSpark  https://visionsparksearch.com/
12:59 How do you pitch hiring folks for companies?
13:45 What’s the difference with a recruiter and a search firm?
16:31 Tips for using a recruiter:

  • Ask what their success rate is
  • What is your guarantee? And what does it mean when I need to activate the guarantee?

17:29 Using assessments in the hiring process: success rate more than triples
17:43 Reference to University of Michigan study: The interview as a tool to predict someone’s future success is about 14% accurate. But when you use a high quality assessment the percentage goes up to 52%
18:03 Some examples of high quality assessments 

18:34 What about DISC? https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc/how-disc-works/
18:45 What the assessment does: it measures an individual’s core behavior.
20:16 What’s the most quirky or cool/different assessment? What’s one that you wouldn’t recommend?
Several that are really cool:

22:33 Talk about the difference between, cognitive, affective, and conative

  • Cognitive: measures mental, attention to detail, learning speed, vocabulary, memory recall, ability to retain information
  • Affective: measures your core personality behavior, organizational level, orientation towards process, energy level  
  • Conative: measures instinctive behavior

29:34 What assessments would you recommend to a company new to using them? Fairly easy to get their hands around?

  • VisionSpark
    • Start with complementary assessment for our listeners: Email [email protected] and mention this podcast!

34:05 Interviewing hacks

  • Pre-take an assessment
  • Have pre-written interview questions ahead of time
  • Have the same questions for each candidate at that level
  • Have a hiring process/playbook
  • Get specific examples in an interview
  • Have someone else in the room as an interview partner to take notes, so you don’t have to remember everything the interviewee says

36:24 “We have seen visionaries where their strength that makes them a great entrepreneur also is the kryptonite for them when hiring individuals.”
37:16 Quick and easy interview format:

  • Start with a closed-end question 
  • Tell me about a time when…
  • Ask questions about how to solve a difficult situation 

40:35 Hiring process:

  • Create a compelling position profile that attracts the right people
  • Look at resume to see if they have the qualifications to do the roll
  • Phone screener
  • Invite them to take an assessment
  • 90 minute interview (Phone or Zoom)
  • Have an interview day for the top 3 or so candidates 
  • Have them interview with 2 direct reports
  • Have them interview with their peers

43:09 VisionSpark Interview Day Form LINK HERE VisionSpark_Candidate Rating form

Evaluate these in 6 areas

  1. Resume
  2. Cultural fit
  3. Ability (past-focused: what do we know about their past)
  4. Aptitude (future-focused: what do we know about their cognitive or physical ability)
  5. Core values
  6. Character


47:57 Book reference – Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni
49:01 During and interview make sure you’re listening, and don’t do all the talking. It’s a discovery process


51:35 Book reference – Topgrading by Brad Smart
52:36 The AAR Tool https://youtu.be/YScRIF5Pm-A
58:36 The average time of a mis-hire 278 hours


1:00:02 Alec’s new book “Revealed: Insider Secrets to Hiring Your #2”
1:07:36 How do you help people figure out their unique ability?
1:10:57 What talents are good for a visionary?
1:13:59 How do you start with a visionary?

  • Start with some questions:
  • If we’re having this conversation a year from today, what has to happen for this #2 leader to be a hero to you and your organization? What is your company like? What is your life like?

1:17:13 What is the suite of rolls for a Second in Command?
1:22:04 What does the Second in Command own?
1:27:22 What characteristics do you see in a great #2 Leader?

  • Strong mental aptitudes
  • Great at critical thinking and problem solving
  • Strategic thinking
  • Detail oriented
  • Organized
  • Process oriented
  • They love playbooks and have the ability to create and implement playbooks
  • They love people and realize that people are truly important to the organization, and they will coach and develop
  • Right people, right seats
  • Great communicators

1:30:20 What resources would you recommend for developing a future #2 Leader?
1:35:50 Sensitivity testing…
1:37:45 Why are visionaries not good at hiring in general, but especially when hiring people for their leadership team?

  • They hire from a pool of 1
  • Hiring based on resume, gut, or instinct
  • Not using objective tools
  • Having a process for interviewing 
  • Hiring someone they like instead of someone that is best for the business 

1:45:00 Book references:

     .     

  • Make the noise go away by Larry G. Linne 
  • Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman
  • The second in command by Cameron Herold

1:49:46 Talking about core values
1:52:51 Pinnacle tool: Who wants to keep your job?

2:03:11 Book reference – The road less stupid by Keith J. Cunningham
2:09:55 What is so compelling about working with entrepreneurs?

Website: https://www.lodestonetruenorth.com
Website: https://www.bigeasydesk.com (The best co-working space in Northeast Ohio!)
LinkedIn Book Club Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14158790/
LinkedIn Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-whitmore-lodestone/
LinkedIn Lodestone: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lodestone-true-north
Lodestone Online Courses: https://lodestone.thinkific.com

Podcast: (Make sure you click on Subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes!)
YouTube (video)
https://youtube.com/@lodestonetruenorth

Spotify (video or audio)
https://open.spotify.com/show/3QCsZ7fyKr4z804oTac3FU
Apple Podcasts (audio)
https://apple.co/3O4uv4H
Other Podcast Platforms
https://lodestonetruenorth.com/podcast/

Recent Articles

Follow Us

Mark Whitmore

Mark Whitmore

Mark Whitmore is the Head Coach and founder of Lodestone True North, a dynamic firm of experienced business coaches who help entrepreneurs and managers get to their Land of Awesome.

Take back control of the helm

Make this the moment you take back control of the helm. Schedule a FREE conversation that will put your future back into focus and YOU back in the captains chair.