You can train for skills, but you can’t train for attitude. It’s a game-changing insight for anyone who’s ever hired someone brilliant on paper who turned out to be a toxic drain on the team. This single idea flips the entire hiring process on its head.
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Table of Contents
Meaning
At its core, this quote means that while you can teach someone the technical aspects of a job, you can’t fundamentally change their inherent disposition, work ethic, or how they show up for their colleagues.
Explanation
Let me break this down for you. I’ve seen this play out so many times. You can send a cynical employee to a coding bootcamp, and they’ll come back a better coder, sure. But they’ll still be cynical. They’ll just write more efficient cynical comments in their code. The skill was upgraded. The attitude? Not a chance. Attitude is that deep-seated stuff—resilience, curiosity, coachability, a collaborative spirit. It’s the operating system a person runs on. Skills are just the apps you can install later. And if the OS is buggy or full of malware, it doesn’t matter how many fancy apps you install; the whole system is gonna crash eventually. That’s the real cost of a bad hire.
Quote Summary
Reading Level55
Aesthetic Score84
Origin & Factcheck
This wisdom comes straight from Brian Tracy’s 2001 book, Hire and Keep the Best People. You’ll sometimes see it misattributed to other business gurus or even sports coaches, but the source is pretty clear. Tracy, a prolific author on success and leadership, really nailed a fundamental hiring principle here.
Attribution Summary
Author Bio
Brian Tracy, a prolific author gained global reputation because of his best seller book list such as Eat That Frog!, Goals!, and The Psychology of Selling, and created influential audio programs like The Psychology of Achievement. He is sought after guru for personal development and business performance. Brian Tracy International, coaches millions of professionals and corporates on sales, goal setting, leadership, and productivity.
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Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | You can train for skills, but you can’t train for attitude |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2001; ISBN: 978-1576751275; Last edition: 2001, Berrett-Koehler Publishers; Number of pages: 112. |
| Where is it? | Chapter: Attitude over Skill; Approximate page from 2001 edition |
Context
Within the book, this quote isn’t just a throwaway line. It’s the cornerstone of his entire argument for a smarter hiring strategy. Tracy was pushing back against the old-school method of hiring purely for a resume packed with skills, arguing that this is a recipe for expensive turnover and team dysfunction. He was telling managers to prioritize character and potential over a perfect-looking skillset.
Usage Examples
So how do you actually use this? It’s a lens for every hiring decision.
- For Hiring Managers: In an interview, stop focusing so much on the “tell me about a time you used X software” questions. Instead, ask behavioral questions. “Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned.” You’re probing for attitude—for resilience, for humility.
- For Team Leaders: When you’re building your team, stop trying to “fix” the person with the bad attitude but great skills. It’s a energy black hole. Invest that coaching time in the person with the phenomenal attitude who might need a little skill-building. The return on investment is infinitely higher.
- For Job Seekers: Understand that your attitude is your most valuable asset. Frame your resume and your interview answers to highlight your coachability, your teamwork, your problem-solving mindset. Make it clear that your operating system is top-tier.
To whom it appeals?
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FAQ
Question: Does this mean skills don’t matter at all?
Answer: Not at all. Skills are the price of entry. You need a baseline. But attitude is the differentiator that determines whether a person will soar or sink, and whether they’ll lift the team up or drag it down.
Question: Can’t a good manager change an employee’s attitude?
Answer: A good manager can create an environment where a good attitude can flourish. But they can’t implant one that isn’t there. You can’t motivate someone who has no internal motor. You can only guide and direct the motivation they already possess.
Question: How do you screen for attitude in an interview?
Answer: You have to get beyond the script. Ask about past challenges, how they handle feedback, their thoughts on teamwork. Listen not just for what they say, but how they say it. Are they blaming others? Taking ownership? That’s the attitude showing through.
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