Leadership
On working with the right people
How someone behaves in the small moments tells you most of what you need to know. A short reflection on fit, values and the cost of the wrong yes.
Over the years, the clearest signal of whether a working relationship will go well has rarely been the brief, the budget or the brand. It's how someone conducts themselves in the ordinary moments — the tone of an early email, the respect shown to a junior team member, the willingness to be clear rather than cute. Conduct is character made visible, and it tells you most of what you need to know.
The wrong yes is expensive
It's tempting, especially early on, to take every opportunity that comes. But a misaligned engagement costs more than its fee. It absorbs energy, dulls the work, and crowds out the clients you're genuinely suited to. Saying no to the wrong fit is, quietly, how you make room for the right one.
You can tell a great deal about people by how they treat those who can do nothing for them.
Fit is mutual
This works in both directions. The clients we do our best work for are the ones who value the same things we do — clarity, respect, a considered pace. When those values line up, the work gets easier, better and more enjoyable for everyone. When they don't, no amount of talent quite makes up for it.
Choosing who you work with is one of the most strategic decisions a business makes. It deserves the same care as the work itself.
