---
id: "action-hire-for-uncoachable"
type: "action-item"
source_timestamps: ["§ 2. Hire"]
tags: ["hiring", "recruitment"]
related: ["claim-human-centricity-hard-to-coach", "concept-strategic-agility", "concept-applied-curiosity", "framework-ai-leadership-transition"]
action: "Recruit leaders strong in strategic agility and applied curiosity."
outcome: "Acquisition of critical AI leadership traits that are difficult to train internally."
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2025/09/what-companies-with-successful-ai-pilots-do-differently"
source_title: "What Companies with Successful AI Pilots Do Differently"
sources: ["execution"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-execution"
originDay: 8
articleStem: "hbr-foci-60-successful-ai-pilots"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/09/what-companies-with-successful-ai-pilots-do-differently"
sourceTitle: "What Companies with Successful AI Pilots Do Differently"
---
# Hire for least coachable SHAPE behaviors

## Action: Hire for least coachable SHAPE behaviors

**Action:** Recruit external leaders strong in [[concept-strategic-agility|strategic agility]] and [[concept-applied-curiosity|applied curiosity]].

Actively recruit external leaders who demonstrate strength in the SHAPE behaviors that are **hardest to develop internally** — specifically strategic agility and applied curiosity (the least-coachable dimensions; see [[claim-human-centricity-hard-to-coach]]).

**Expected outcome:** Acquisition of critical AI leadership traits that are difficult to train internally.

### Placement
Step 2 of the [[framework-ai-leadership-transition]]. **Caveat (from enrichment):** development experts warn against over-relying on hiring — some 'least coachable' traits can still be grown internally with coaching and psychological safety.