John Sterling: Why Your Last Hire Was a Disaster

Ever hire someone, only to realize three months in… it was a disaster? Yeah — we’ve all been there.

In this episode of The Way to Value, we sit down with John Sterling, a successful entrepreneur who has led massive teams, coached hundreds of leaders, and made plenty of hiring mistakes of his own. Together with Marty Osborn & Dale Thrush, they break down why so many companies get hiring wrong — and what to do before your next big people decision.

We’re talking vague roles, bad onboarding, “culture fit” excuses, and why the real problem usually isn’t the person — it’s the process (or lack of one).

---

💡 What You’ll Hear:

• The cost of hiring without role clarity

• Why “right person, wrong seat” is just lazy language

• John’s biggest hiring regrets (and what he learned)

• Why most people flounder in the first 90 days

• How to create real accountability without micromanaging

• What great leadership actually looks like on Day 1

---

👤 About John Sterling: https://www.sterlingsales.co/

John is a seasoned executive, leadership coach, and someone who’s been in the trenches — building teams, fixing broken ones, and helping leaders get honest about what’s not working.

🌐 Learn More About Exit Strategy & Leadership – https://www.bydesignadvisors.com/contact-us

🎧 Subscribe to By Design Podcast for more unfiltered leadership truth bombs

📘 Finding Significance by Marty Osborne – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTQD79BH/?bestFormat=true&k=finding%20significance%20marty%20osborn&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-pd-bk-d_de_k1_1_12&crid=37ZRISVQPV8P3&sprefix=marty%20osborn

🧠 Take the DISC Assessment – https://profiles.innermetrix.com/VO/b2a2eb33/en

Website: https://www.bydesignadvisors.com/

Dale's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalethrush/

Marty's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marty-osborn-78ba9b5/

Tom's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasrjoh

👉 Like this episode? Subscribe & turn on notifications so you don’t miss what’s next.