Hire Power with Kim Frost

Hiring a great leader can transform a company—but it can’t fix leadership problems that already exist. In this episode of Hire Power, we continue the 2026 Leadership Trends series with a hard truth: you cannot hire your way out of broken leadership. Many organizations fall into the “savior mindset,” believing the next rockstar hire will fix revenue problems, cultural issues, or internal misalignme...

Clarity gives direction. AI increases speed. But culture determines what happens under pressure—and most leaders aren't treating it like the critical system it is. In this episode of the 2026 Leadership Series, I'm breaking down Trend #3: Culture as Your Operating System. This isn't about ping pong tables or motivational posters. Culture is how power flows, how decisions get made, and...

We've been asking the wrong question about AI and leadership. It's not whether AI will replace leaders—it's about what AI is exposing. The uncomfortable truth? Many leaders never fully owned their decisions to begin with. In this episode, I break down the second major leadership trend heading into 2026: how AI is removing the excuses leaders have been hiding behind for years. Processes, committees...

Clarity isn't just a hiring tool—it's become the most foundational leadership competency for 2026. Leaders who don't develop it are the ones dealing with turnover, stalled searches, burnt-out teams, and constant frustration. In this episode, Kim breaks down why clarity matters more than ever, what happens when it's missing, and how to make it your competitive advantage. If you've ever wondered why...

Leadership is being redefined right now—and if you're not paying attention, you're already behind. This isn't some recycled article about trends. These are the patterns Kim is seeing and hearing every single day from leaders who are winning and the ones who keep wondering why everything feels broken. Kim walks through 6 big shifts happening in leadership right now—clarity as a superpow...

AI increases output—but development transforms identity. And right now, we're confusing the two. In this episode, Kim breaks down the uncomfortable truth: AI can make you faster, but speed isn't the same thing as maturity. And leadership? That requires maturity. Fresh off an interview with 425 Magazine on this exact topic, Kim tackles the question leaders are quietly asking behind closed d...

AI is already inside your hiring process whether you put it there intentionally or not. And while artificial intelligence promises speed, efficiency, and fairness, it also carries a quiet risk many leaders aren’t prepared for: automated bias at scale. In this episode of Hire Power, Kim Frost cuts through the noise of “AI is amazing” versus “AI is evil” and gets real about what responsible leadersh...

Are New Year’s resolutions actually helpful for leaders… or are they quietly holding you back? In this episode of Hire Power, Kim Frost challenges the idea of once-a-year goal setting and explains why real leadership isn’t about resolutions—it’s about courage, clarity, and consistent action. Dropping this conversation a few weeks into the new year is intentional, because statistically, this is whe...

Boomers. Gen X. Millennials. Gen Z. One team. What actually works and what absolutely doesn’t. For the first time in history, four generations are working side by side, and if you’re leading them, it can feel less like running a business and more like moderating a family reunion. In this episode, we break down why generational tension isn’t really a “generation problem” at all— nd what strong lead...

Chaos isn’t a phase, it’s the environment. Market shifts, AI disruption, layoffs, global instability… uncertainty is now part of everyday leadership. And in moments like these, leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about how you show up. In this episode, we look at what courageous leadership actually looks like when clarity is hard to find. Inspired by insights from Harvard Business...

What a year. No one could have predicted the twists we saw in leadership, hiring, and the future of work—but here we are, closing out another unpredictable, enlightening, and wildly transformative year. After 25 years in executive search and talent strategy, I thought I had seen it all: the dot-com bust, the global financial crisis, a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, and the rewiring of how we work. Y...

Leadership transparency is a buzzword. “I’m an open book. Ask me anything.” But here’s the truth: great leaders aren’t open books, they’re disciplined communicators. In today’s episode of Hire Power, we’re breaking down the nuance of transparency: When it builds trust, and when it quietly destroys it. Harvard Business Review has written about this extensively, yet most leaders still get it wrong....

Most leaders say they want to hire people smarter than themselves… but when it comes to the reality of succession planning, many avoid it entirely. In today’s episode, Kim Frost breaks down the leadership responsibility almost  no one talks about  — but that the strongest leaders quietly master:  planning for their own replacement. This conversation is bold, direct, and necessary. Because protecti...

Today we’re diving into one of the most overlooked, misunderstood, and high-ROI leadership practices: stay interviews. Not performance reviews, not hallway check-ins, not annual conversations—true, intentional, proactive dialogues designed to keep your best people before they start imagining a future without you. Here’s the reality: Most leaders don’t know what a stay interview is. Even fewer know...

Companies love to say they “hire for culture”… but most can’t define what their culture actually is. That’s why turnover stays high and hiring stays inconsistent. In this episode, Kim breaks down why culture fit is not a hiring strategy—and what to build instead: a clear, behavior-based employee brand. You’ll learn: • What “culture fit” really means (and why it’s unreliable) • Why gut-driven hirin...

Most leaders love to say, “I’ll know it when I see it.” But here’s the truth: hiring off your gut alone is not leadership, it’s luck. In this episode of Hire Power,  Kim Frost breaks down the difference between instinctive hiring and intentional hiring. She shares why relying solely on gut feelings or vague phrases like “not a culture fit” can lead to bias, poor decisions, and costly mis-hires, an...

How do great leaders move people, not just manage them? In this episode of Hire Power, I sit down with storytelling expert Mario Juarez, founder of StoryCo to unpack why story is one of the most essential leadership tools most leaders underuse. We explore why your story isn’t just what you say about yourself, but what people experience with you. Drawing from nearly 30 years inside Microsoft and hi...

After taking her first two-week vacation since 2018, Kim Frost is back, recharged, refocused, and reminded that real leadership requires rest. In this episode of Hire Power, Kim unpacks what truly happens when you step away from the grind and give your brain, your relationships, and your business room to breathe. From the science of detachment and creativity to the leadership benefits of unpluggin...

Let’s flip the script on what makes a powerful leader. It’s not always authority, strategy, or a polished presentation... it’s humor. In this episode of Hire Power, Kim Frost explores why humor is one of the most underrated yet  most effective  leadership tools. Drawing on insights from Harvard Business Review and her own experience coaching executives, Kim reveals how laughter isn’t just about fu...

When was the last time you truly unplugged? For me, it’s been since 2008, and that changes this month. In this episode, I am sharing why I am taking a full month off, including her first two-week break in over a decade, and what it means for leadership. Here's the truth, if the person at the top never unplugs, the whole team learns that rest is weakness. In this episode: Why modeling balance m...

Most people groan when another meeting lands on their calendar, and honestly, for good reason. Too many meetings waste time, drain energy, and leave everyone wondering, what just happened? But here’s the truth: meetings can be one of the strongest signals of leadership strength—when they’re done right. In this episode, Kim Frost breaks down how effective leaders transform meetings from time-waster...

Are you leading communication, or letting it lead you? In this episode we are diving into one of the most overlooked leadership skills: communication protocols. With endless channels- email, text, Teams, Slack, DMs, WhatsApp, and more - it’s easy for leaders and teams to slip into chaos instead of clarity. I share real stories from my own career and from clients who’ve struggled with notification...

Hiring doesn’t end when the offer letter is signed, it begins with onboarding. In this episode of  Hire Power , we break down why onboarding is not a “nice to have” but the launchpad for every new hire’s success. I share a story from my time in global consulting, where one small change in onboarding practices dropped turnover from double digits to single digits. And joining me is Laura Poepping of...

One of the biggest myths I hear from small business owners is:  “We’re too small to attract top talent.”  The truth? You’re never too small for a great hire... in fact, it matters even more at your stage of growth. In this episode of  Hire Power , I’m breaking down why small companies actually have an edge when it comes to leadership hires—and why waiting until you’re “big enough” could cost you e...

Is chasing the biggest paycheck really the best career move? In this episode of  Hire Power , we’re diving into one of the biggest traps professionals fall into: focusing on compensation before culture. From toxic leaders to unrealistic job expectations, money can’t fix a poor environment, and the data proves it. In fact, employees are 10x more likely to quit over culture than pay. So why do so ma...