Investor and "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary says the best-performing executives he has ever hired are people who balance their careers with artistic or unconventional passions.
O'Leary Praises ‘Eclectic Passions' In Top Talent
On Friday, in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, O'Leary explained that when evaluating candidates for high-level positions such as CEOs, CFOs, or engineers, he looks beyond credentials.
"When I hire top talent, I don't just look at credentials. I want to know what else you do outside the office. Do you still dance, play guitar, paint, or ride motorcycles? Those eclectic passions matter," he said.
O'Leary added that his most successful hires often maintained talents they pursued as teenagers, like ballet. "Their executional excellence was way higher than others," he said.
“For example, ballet in your 40s is really hard to do. And yet I have someone like that and and she is remarkable. And so I don’t care when she gets the work done. Couldn’t give a damn as long as the financial statements come out on time,” he stated.
The investor argued that blending creativity with discipline creates what he called a "Yin and Yang" balance, leading to stronger execution.
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O'Leary's Tough Stance On Job Hoppers
Last month, O'Leary criticized job seekers with résumés filled with short stints, saying execution matters more than credentials. "Show me you had a mandate and delivered on it over two years or more, that's gold," he said.
His comments come as U.S. labor data remains in focus.
September's jobs report was delayed due to the government shutdown — the first such delay in nearly 30 years — leaving businesses and policymakers waiting for fresh insight into the employment market.
August jobs data reveal a sharp hiring slowdown, with only 22,000 nonfarm payrolls added—well below July's 79,000 and expectations. With September's figures delayed, the Fed must rely on older data and alternative indicators to guide labor-dependent policy decisions.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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