The Predictive Index can improve hiring.  That’s not its biggest value.

The Real Value of Predictive Index Begins After You Hire 

 
One of the most common questions I hear is, “How should we use Predictive Index in hiring?” 

It’s a good question. 

However, after dozens of conversations with CEOs and executive teams this year, I’ve become convinced it’s the wrong one.

Or maybe it’s just too small.  

This year, I want to learn from as many leaders as I can.

When I initially embarked on a project to interview as many leaders as possible this year, I assumed attracting & retaining talent would dominate the conversation.

But it didn’t.

It came up, but more notably, I heard stories about growth that outpaced the way the organization was being led. Companies expanding faster than they could develop leaders. Founders & C-suite teams trying to hand off decisions that have always lived with them. Leadership teams were trying to create consistency across leaders who had each developed their own ways of leading.  

Hiring mattered. But it wasn’t the thing keeping these executives awake at night. 

Instead, I heard… 

• We’re doubling in size. 

• We just acquired another company. 

• Our leaders aren’t aligned. 

• We’re replacing half our leadership team. 

• The founder still makes every important decision. 

And I realized… growth was changing what leadership required. 

One conversation has stayed with me. 

The CEO of a growing company shared with our team that they wanted to get their current leadership development system “out of their head and onto paper.” When we met again, the CEO handed us pages of notes. They were thoughtful. They captured years of experience, decisions, and ways the business operated. 

As we talked through them together, something became clear—not because any of us had discovered something new, but because seeing it on paper made it easier to talk about. The business had grown. The leadership system that had carried it to this point was now being asked to do something different. 

The following truths became clear to me…

Every organization has a leadership system.

Sometimes it’s documented and sometimes it’s reinforced intentionally. More often, it’s a collection of habits, expectations, and decision-making patterns carried by a handful of good leaders.  

It works remarkably well.

At least, until the business becomes bigger, more complex, or asks something different of the people leading it. 

That’s when the gaps start to show. 

And honestly, this is why I think organizations often underestimate The Predictive Index. Yes, it’s an outstanding hiring tool. Yep, it can improve interviews and help you make more informed hiring decisions. 

But if that’s where its value stops, you’re leaving a tremendous amount on the table. 

When I interviewed leaders, I assumed attracting and retaining talent would dominate the conversation. But it didn’t.

The same behavioral data that helps you understand candidates can also help your leaders better understand themselves, each other, how decisions get made, where friction develops, and what your organization will need from its leaders as it continues to grow. 

Hiring is simply the beginning. 

As your business grows, you’ll inevitably invest in better systems—for finance, operations, sales, and technology. 

Leadership deserves the same level of intentionality.

So here’s the question I’d leave you with: 

If your company doubled in size over the next three years, would your leadership system scale with it? Or would it still depend on a handful of people carrying too much of it in their heads? 

Because hiring the right people matters.  
 
And the leadership system that helped you become the company you are today isn’t the same one that will help you become the company you’re capable of becoming.  

You may already be sitting on the data that connects it all.  

If your company doubled in size over the next three years, would your leadership system scale with it? Or would it still depend on a handful of people carrying too much of it in their heads? 

I’d love to hear your insights, too.