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Mackey Admits He Was Bad at Hiring Despite Success Attracting Talent

On Purpose with Jay Shetty · John Mackey: Not Sure You're on the Right Path In Your Career? (Use THIS Framework When You Feel Lost About What's Next) · June 24, 2026
Mackey Admits He Was Bad at Hiring Despite Success Attracting Talent
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
John Mackey: Not Sure You're on the Right Path In Your Career? (Use THIS Framework When You Feel Lost About What's Next)
"I've always been good at attracting good people because I have a lot of passion, a lot of purpose, a lot of charisma. But I've never been very good at hiring people. One of my strengths is I really see the beauty in people. I see the goodness in people. And that sometimes makes me a little bit blind to things that are not as good."
The Whole Foods co-founder candidly admitted that while his charisma attracted top talent, his tendency to see the best in people made him a poor judge of who to actually hire. He relied on his CFO Glenda Flanagan and others with better discernment to make final hiring decisions, acknowledging that his strength became a weakness in personnel evaluation.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
On Purpose with Jay Shetty

John Mackey: Not Sure You're on the Right Path In Your Career? (Use THIS Framework When You Feel Lost About What's Next)

August 3, 2026 · 5 Egleze moments
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