Not Every A-Player Is Your A-Player

Fixing Executive Search Through Context, Not Charisma

In Life Sciences, hiring is a business decision—especially when it comes to Commercial leadership.

The stakes are high. Investors expect results. CEOs need operators who can execute now—not six months from now. And yet… even candidates with top-tier résumés bomb in new roles.

Why?
Because talent doesn’t transfer in a vacuum. Context matters.

Too many executive searches miss this simple truth. Below is a breakdown of where things go wrong—and how to fix them.

1️⃣ Context First: Will This Leader Thrive Here?

Don’t confuse a great candidate with the right candidate.

An “all-star” who scaled a $200M Diagnostics business may fail fast inside your 50-person AI-driven Tools startup. They were great—in a different context.

👉 Talent ≠ Transferability
👉 Success is situational
👉 Fit must be defined upfront

Use this 5-line snapshot before you start any executive search:

✔ Size / Stage
Pre-revenue, post-Series B, prepping for IPO?
→ Do you need a builder or an optimizer?

✔ Top 3 Constraints
Capital? Pricing discipline? Fragmented data?
→ Where will this leader hit friction on Day 1?

✔ Decision Cadence
Fast, collaborative, or consensus-driven?
→ Will your top candidate burn out—or thrive?

✔ Enablement Level
Do you have CRM, dashboards, RevOps in place?
→ Or will they need to build it all?

✔ Culture Under Pressure
When things go sideways, what’s the vibe: Calm? Command-and-control? Chaos?
→ Pick someone who fits your storm pattern.

This isn’t about your future vision—it’s about your current operating reality.

The best leaders fit the moment you’re in.

2️⃣ Define Year-1 Outcomes Before You Interview

“Grow revenue” isn’t a plan.

Do you need to rebuild the funnel, fix comp, enter a new market—or all three?
Each outcome demands a different athlete.

👉 If you want growth → hire the strategist-coach
👉 If you want turnaround → hire the builder-operator
👉 If you want both → pick the one you need first

Write a simple Year-1 Scorecard with 3–5 hard metrics.
Then assess every candidate’s track record against those metrics—not their title.

3️⃣ Product Knowledge Isn’t Leadership

Many Life Sciences companies over-index on product expertise.

But if you already have strong Product or R&D teams, your priority may be leadership—not technical depth.

👉 Can they build the team?
👉 Can they lead cross-functional execution?
👉 Can they drive results with limited resources?

If the answer is yes, a candidate with “good enough” product knowledge can still be your best hire.

Build the Success Profile First

Before you interview a single candidate, define:
✔ Your environment (context snapshot)
✔ Your Year-1 outcomes
✔ Core competencies (builder, operator, optimizer, communicator)
✔ Non-negotiables and anti-signals

That’s your Success Profile.
Use it to benchmark every candidate—consistently.

Charisma doesn’t get a vote.

The Bottom Line

Hiring executive talent isn't about who impresses you in an interview.

It’s about who delivers in your business environment, under your conditions, against your goals.

📈 Define the environment. Clarify the outcomes. Match the candidate.

That’s how you find a Commercial leader who delivers oversized growth.
That’s what we do at Alder Brooks.

Save Time. Grow.™

Patty Sipes
Managing Director, Alder Brooks
Former CEO & CCO | Life Sciences Commercial Leadership

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