Remind Someone Why You Hired Them

by Stacey Larsen

Mar 11, 2026

Here’s a simple leadership move to try this week.

Remind someone why you hired them.

Not in a performance review.

Not after a big win.

Just in the middle of a normal week.

Most leaders spend a lot of time correcting things that aren’t working.

Missed details.
Deadlines.

Things that could have been done better.

Important? Yes.

But over time the conversation can become almost entirely about what’s wrong.

And people start to forget something important.

Why they were hired in the first place.

You saw something in them.

Judgment.
Work ethic.
Curiosity.
Potential.

You believed they could contribute to the team.

Sometimes the most powerful leadership move isn’t correcting someone.
It’s reminding them of the strengths you already saw.

Not as flattery.
As clarity.

A quick sentence like:

“I hired you because you think things through carefully.”
“You’re good at seeing problems early.”
“You bring a calm presence when things get chaotic.”

Those reminders do something subtle but powerful.

They give people a reference point for how to show up.

And they make it much easier to have the tougher conversations later when something goes off track.

So as you head into the week, look for one opportunity.
Just one.

Remind someone why you hired them.

You might be surprised how much energy that one sentence creates.

💜 Stacey

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