Which climate tech character did you just hire?
Six Personas. Ideal Climate Team Player.
Welcome to Climate CEOs — where climate tech leaders navigate growth, capital, and quiet doubts. Built from work with 300+ climate CEOs. Read by 40,000+ climate operators and investors annually.
1.
The decision
“What’s the simplest framework for evaluating new climate tech hires?”
Three words.
Humble
Hungry
Smart (emotionally intelligent)
From Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Ideal Team Player.
Simple. But not easy.
Even top talent may have only 2 out of 3.
That missing trait is often the reason they fail.
2.
Why this matters
Climate tech is hard enough without self-inflicted wounds.
The wrong hire can slow a company faster than a utility requesting “one more study.”
Lencioni offers six personas that show up repeatedly inside fast-growing companies. Learn to spot them before they’re on your payroll.
Accidental Mess-Maker (Humble + Hungry)
Works hard. Means well. But has the self-awareness of a rock.
Lovable Slacker (Humble + Smart)
Great teammate. No urgency. Like a climate pilot entering year four.
Skillful Politician (Hungry + Smart)
Charismatic and ambitious. But somehow every win is “me” and every setback is “we.”
Pawn (Humble only)
Great intentions. Limited action. Like a climate action plan with 147 pages and no budget.
Bulldozer (Hungry only)
Gets things done. But leaves damaged relationships behind. Like announcing a transmission line before talking to the communities it crosses.
Charmer (Smart only)
Great at Climate Week. But thinks conversations alone remove GHGs from the air.
3.
So what?
When interviewing candidates, ask:
Which virtue is missing?
Skills can be taught.
Climate expertise can be learned.
Character traits are much harder to install.
The best climate leaders I’ve met share three traits:
Low ego
High drive
Strong self-awareness
Not the loudest person in the room. Or the most confident.
Not the highest frequent-flyer status. Or the best hoodie.
That’s all, y’all.
Make it a great week. It’s usually a choice.
Climate CEO Coach, Founder, Investor, Board Member, Professor
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P.S. Zen Zone: How can constraints be a good thing? “If a man has nothing to eat, fasting is the most intelligent thing he can do.” ~ Herman Hesse
P.P.S. Climate CEOs podcast: The Climate Gold Mine Sitting in America's Landfills | Andrew Jones, CEO of Carba
