In a recent LinkedIn post, Tom Wood delves into a common pitfall for businesses: executive hiring failures. Wood argues that these high-profile missteps are often not due to a lack of capability in the hired executive, but rather a fundamental misalignment between the executive’s experience and the company’s current stage of development.
Wood highlights a frequent scenario where companies make ill-suited hires:
“Most exec hires don’t fail because they’re bad. They fail because they’re wrong for the stage.”
This core assertion sets the stage for Wood’s analysis, which emphasizes the critical importance of context in executive recruitment. He elaborates on how a mismatch in organizational maturity can lead to failure, regardless of the candidate’s inherent talent.
The Danger of Stage Mismatch
Tom Wood points out that companies often err by hiring executives based on aspirations rather than their current reality. This leads to bringing in leaders prepared for a future phase of growth before the foundational elements are in place.
For instance, Wood describes the issue of dropping a leader accustomed to a large, established environment into a smaller, less structured company. “I see it all the time: A business hires someone who’s operated in a £200m environment… and drops them into a £40m business with no structure, no systems, and expects the same output,” he writes.
Conversely, Wood notes the opposite problem: a highly effective leader in a chaotic, turnaround situation might falter when placed in a highly structured, process-driven environment.
Context Over Capability
According to Wood, the issue is rarely about the executive’s fundamental abilities. Instead, it’s about whether their specific skillset and experience are appropriate for the company’s current operational stage and challenges. He stresses that different stages demand distinct leadership behaviors and approaches.
“Different stages require different behaviours. A turnaround leader is not a scale leader. A scale leader is not a builder. A builder is not someone who can run a billion-pound machine.”
Wood further clarifies that while executive titles might seem similar across different organizational sizes and maturity levels, the actual responsibilities and required competencies can be vastly different. He states, “They might have the same titles but they’re completely different jobs.”
Hiring for the Future, Not the Present
A key reason for these misalignments, as identified by Tom Wood, is the tendency for companies to hire for their desired future state instead of their current operational needs. This forward-looking ambition, while understandable, can be detrimental if not grounded in present realities.
“Where it usually goes wrong is this: Companies hire based on what they aspire to be, not what they actually are,” Wood explains. This premature hiring for a future phase can lead to significant disruption and failure to achieve the intended outcomes.
Wood concludes by drawing a crucial distinction:
“There’s a big difference between a bad hire and a misaligned hire, and it can cost your business.”
His insights serve as a critical reminder for organizations to carefully assess their current stage and needs before embarking on executive recruitment, ensuring that hired leaders are set up for success within the existing organizational context, not just a future aspiration.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Tom Wood on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on April 7, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →