Why Smart Leaders Still Make Bad Hires (And Don’t See It Coming)
The Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast
Release Date: 06/01/2026
It Shouldn’t Be This Hard: The Truth About Right People, Right Seats (SOLO Episode)
The Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast
Suzie shares a personal lesson about placing good people in the wrong roles and introduces a practical five-part Job Fit model and the REV process for turning chronic workplace friction into clarity, accountability, and momentum. TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS 1. A good person can still be in the wrong seat. Commitment, loyalty, kindness, and effort do not automatically equal job fit. Someone can care deeply and still lack the experience, motivation, natural strengths, judgment, or personal skills that the role requires. 2. Job fit includes five distinct areas. Suzie’s car analogy provides a...
info_outline
Mini Episode: When Everyone Wants the VP Role: Ambition Isn’t the Same as Fit
The Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast
When several capable people want the same leadership role, the best decision comes from clearly defining what the position requires and evaluating each person’s true fit—not simply rewarding ambition, tenure, or visibility. TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS 1. Wanting the role does not automatically mean someone is suited for it. Ambition can be valuable, but desire alone does not tell you whether a person has the judgment, leadership approach, emotional maturity, or personal skills the position requires. Someone may genuinely want the promotion and still be a better fit for a different path....
info_outline
Building Better Leaders at Work - and a Life You Can’t Wait to Wake Up To
The Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast
Executive coach and author Chip Scholz shares practical wisdom on self-leadership, reducing workplace drama, using assessments wisely, letting go of ego, and building a life centered more on usefulness than status. TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS 1. You cannot lead others well until you learn to lead yourself. Chip makes the point that leadership is a profession, not just the reward someone gets after being good at their technical job. Leaders have to shift from “doing” to “being” and learn how to guide people, not just keep proving their own expertise. 2. Drama grows when leaders avoid...
info_outline
Wake Up Eager Starts the Night Before with Dr. Nicole Williams
The Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast
Wake Up Eager really does start the night before. In this episode, Suzie Price talks with Dr. Nicole Williams about why sleep is not a luxury, a weakness, or something high performers can simply “push through.” Dr. Nicole explains how poor sleep affects mood, focus, hormones, weight, stress, executive function, and long-term health. She also shares simple, practical ways to restore better sleep, including consistent wake times, smarter caffeine habits, evening downshifting, hydration, light management, and nervous system regulation. TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS 1. Sleep is a...
info_outline
Ted Turner Beyond the Headlines: Leadership Lessons from Inside Turner Broadcasting with Allan DeNiro
The Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast
Former Turner Broadcasting executive Allan DeNiro shares behind-the-scenes stories of working with Ted Turner and reveals the people-first leadership lessons that helped build one of the most innovative media companies in the world. Ted Turner is remembered as the bold founder of CNN, the visionary behind Turner Broadcasting, and one of the most influential media entrepreneurs of the modern era. In this episode, former Turner Broadcasting executive Allan DeNiro takes us beyond the headlines to share firsthand stories about Ted’s leadership, speed, risk-taking, trust in people, and...
info_outline
2026 Tip # 4 Nicole Williams - Mini Episode
The Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast
info_outline
Are You Living Your Encodings? From Jim Collins to Wake Up Eager Clarity
The Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast
Jim Collins calls them "encodings"—the deeply wired patterns that shape how we contribute—and in this episode, Suzie Price explores how understanding your natural strengths, motivations, and energy can help you build a life you can't wait to wake up to. What if the key to a more energized, meaningful life isn't working harder—but understanding what you're truly wired to do? Inspired by Jim Collins' book What to Make of a Life and his conversation with Tim Ferriss, Suzie explores the concept of "encodings" and connects it to the TriMetrix assessment and the Wake Up Eager philosophy. She...
info_outline
2026 Tip #3 - Nicole Williams - Mini Episode
The Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast
info_outline
Why Smart Leaders Still Make Bad Hires (And Don’t See It Coming)
The Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast
Smart leaders still make bad hires because they skip upfront clarity—failing to define observable success for the role—then rely on general interview questions and are swayed by likability/confidence. In this episode, your host Suzie Price, discusses the fixes. TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS 1. Define success first. Identify the observable, day-to-day behaviors the role requires before interviewing. 2. Anchor interviews to those priorities. Create behavioral questions tied to the top 3–5 Superior Performance Attributes. 3. Don’t confuse likability with...
info_outline
Tip #2 Nicole Williams Tip - Mini Episode
The Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast
info_outlineSmart leaders still make bad hires because they skip upfront clarity—failing to define observable success for the role—then rely on general interview questions and are swayed by likability/confidence. In this episode, your host Suzie Price, discusses the fixes.
TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS
- 1. Define success first. Identify the observable, day-to-day behaviors the role requires before interviewing.
- 2. Anchor interviews to those priorities. Create behavioral questions tied to the top 3–5 Superior Performance Attributes.
- 3. Don’t confuse likability with fit. Evaluate competence against the defined attributes, not just confidence or rapport.
KEY QUOTES
- - "Confidence is not competence, connection is not capability."
- - "Define what success looks like in this role five days a week, not in theory, not in a job posting, but in real observable behavior."
- - "Ask yourself, what are the top three to five things this person must do well every single day to be successful?"
- - "Good questions don't work if they're not anchored to something specific to your role at this time in this company, in your position, in your team."
- - "They slow down before they speed up."
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
- - Define 3–5 daily must-dos for the role (observable behaviors).
- - Build a simple scorecard with those attributes and 1–5 anchors.
- - Write 1–2 STAR behavioral questions per attribute and ask the same to all finalists.
- - Assign interviewers to evaluate specific attributes and use the scorecard in debriefs.
- - Add a short work-sample or situational task tied to the top attribute.
- - Create 30/60/90 outcomes linked to the attributes and review early.
ABOUT THE HOST
Suzie Price is the founder of Priceless Professional Development and host of the Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast. For more than 20 years, she has helped leaders and organizations improve hiring, communication, and performance through the practical application of behavioral science, personal development, and the TriMetrix assessment suite.