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This week, I’ve combined two blog posts into a single episode, as the two topics that we’ll explore are so central to the job of any small business CEO: In Part 1, I walk you through the most meaningful lessons that I learned as a CEO related to hiring. In Part 2, we explore the opposite side of the coin, and discuss how, when, and who to fire.

Hiring and retaining the right people (as well as moving out the wrong people) is arguably the most important job of any CEO, and I’d argue that it’s particularly important within the context of a small business, where a single individual can represent as much at 5-10% of the total employee base. If, in a hypothetical world, you could only focus on one thing as a leader, I might argue that this is it.

I hope that you’ll find at least some of my reflections, mistakes and lessons to be applicable to your own situation.