Who Do You Admire - What’s That Say About You?
Charlie Munger identified Liking/Loving Tendency as the #2 psychological force in human misjudgment.
His point: The people and ideas we admire shape us - for better or worse. We tend to ignore the faults of those we love, favor people and ideas associated with them, and distort facts to protect our high opinion of them.
That's human nature and it can be a weakness.
But in a hiring tryout, it's also a window.
TRUTH CHECK
You may learn more about a candidate by asking who they admire than by asking what they've accomplished. Accomplishments can be rehearsed. Admiration can reveal character - and the answers are often unplanned.
Ask them about three people. One at a time.
Person #1 - A leader they have never met. Someone from business, history, or sports. Ask them:
What specific accomplishments do you admire?
What do you admire about their personality or behaviors?
How do you relate to their personal or professional beliefs?
Why do you believe what you've heard about them is true?
That last question matters. A candidate who has never questioned the source of their admiration may not question much else either.
Person #2 - A leader or peer with whom they have worked. Ask them:
What are three ways this person was a great role model?
Now flip it - what three ways could they have been better?
What was their biggest accomplishment?
Tell me a true story that demonstrates how they treated others.
What do you remember most about how they communicated?
Anything else worth noting?
The flip question is often where you learn the most, if you’re listening carefully. Candidates who can't identify a single flaw in a former leader or mentor are showing you something important - and not something good. Watch for idealization. It's one of Munger's traps in plain sight.
Person #3 - Someone they have known personally. Make it comfortable: "I'm not asking for personal information, so you don't have to share their name." Then ask:
What impressed you most about their character?
Why did you enjoy them?
If you could work on any project with them, what would it be?
If you could do anything fun together, what would it be?
How did they serve others?
This third set of questions can provide treasure - because the player’s guard is often down and the admiration is most personal.
What you are listening for:
As they describe each person, you are listening for Munger's three traps.
Trap #1 - Do they ignore obvious faults in the people they admire?
Trap #2 - Do they uncritically favor ideas, products, or approaches simply because someone they love championed them?
Trap #3 - Do they shade the truth — even slightly — to protect their high opinion of a person?
None of these tendencies disqualify a candidate. They are human universals. But a player who demonstrates more than one across more than one person they admire, may struggle to give you honest assessments of team members, clients, or strategies when their personal loyalties are in play.
Munger noted the flip side as well: A person constructed to love admirable people and ideas with genuine intensity has a huge advantage in life. Buffett said the same.
The goal isn't to find candidates who admire no one. It's to find candidates whose admiration is grounded, discerning, and honest.
The best hires know why they admire someone - and appreciate people you’d want on your team - top performers who live by your values.
This combination of sincere admiration and clear-eyed judgment is rare.
Hire the player when you confirm it.
QUESTION: What’s the best true story you have about a candidate explaining someone they admire? Share your experience in the comments.
If you want to build a hiring tryout that reveals character, judgment, and self-awareness before you make an offer, let's talk.
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