Why Fighting for Talent Might Be Your Worst Strategy (In Business and Life) - DRAGOS CALIN
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16 Sep Why Fighting for Talent Might Be Your Worst Strategy (In Business and Life)

Posted at 16:22h in Culture, Hiring, Leadership by

Title: Why Fighting for Talent Might Be Your Worst Strategy (In Business and Life)

In today’s fast-paced, talent-hungry world, every company is locked in a constant battle to find, attract, and retain the “right people.” Leaders burn through budgets, HR teams hustle like never before, and everyone’s chasing the unicorn candidate who will magically fix all their problems.

But what if I told you: you might be going about it all wrong?

Instead of obsessing over recruiting talent like it’s a global arms race, why not make your current people… happy? Sounds radical, I know, but stay with me. This goes for your personal life too. Let’s dive into how a counterintuitive, almost rebellious approach could change the game for both your career and your relationships.

Stop Chasing, Start Empowering

While everyone is fighting to poach the next superstar, what if you focused on empowering the people you already have?

It’s like dating. If you’re constantly looking for the next best thing, you’ll never appreciate the amazing partner right in front of you. The grass might seem greener on the other side, but often it’s because you forgot to water your own lawn.

Sigmund Freud once said that “love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness” (Freud, 1930). What do both require? Attention, effort, and care. Whether you’re managing a team or managing your personal relationships, people want to feel valued, understood, and trusted. If you invest in making your employees—or loved ones—feel fulfilled, they’ll stick around.

People Aren’t Chess Pieces

Ever been in a relationship where you felt like you were just a cog in a wheel? Maybe a backup plan or a stepping stone? It sucks, right?

In the workplace, it’s not much different. French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan argued that humans are driven by desires that are often unspoken or even unknown (Lacan, 1953). In both business and love, this desire isn’t always for more money, power, or fancy perks. Most of the time, it’s for something more primal: connection, recognition, and respect.

Instead of treating your employees like chess pieces, to be moved or sacrificed for a greater strategy, treat them as complex, emotional beings. The same goes for your personal relationships. When people feel truly seen and appreciated, magic happens.

Hire Slowly, Retain Smartly

Carl Jung, the Swiss psychoanalyst, had a beautiful metaphor: “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do” (Jung, 1959). How does this apply? It’s easy to talk about building strong teams or nurturing relationships, but it’s much harder to actually do the work.

In business, this means taking the time to hire the right people, not just the fastest available. And once they’re in, invest in their growth. In personal life, it’s about slow, thoughtful commitment, rather than rushing to find “The One.” The trick is to nurture and sustain the relationships you already have.

In both cases, your existing “team” will be your greatest asset, and those relationships will sustain you.

Get Comfortable with Letting People Go

Now, here’s a kicker: sometimes, the most counterintuitive move is to let people go.

Lacan’s idea of desire teaches us that clinging to what we think we need can keep us from real growth (Lacan, 1953). In the workplace, not everyone is a fit forever, and that’s okay. The same principle applies in relationships. Not every romantic partner or friend is meant to be in your life forever. Sometimes, it’s healthier to part ways, allowing for new opportunities and personal growth.

Just like in love, in business, letting go can open doors you didn’t even know existed.

The Real Talent Hack? Be Human

Whether at work or in your personal life, people are people. Not resources, not assets—just humans trying to find meaning, connection, and fulfillment. When you stop chasing new relationships or talent like it’s a rare commodity, and instead focus on nurturing the ones you already have, you’ll see a transformation.

So, go ahead. Do the counterintuitive thing. Put people first, whether they’re your employees, friends, or your partner. It’s cheaper, more sustainable, and a whole lot more fulfilling than constantly searching for the next big thing.

#Leadership #TalentRetention #OrganizationalPsychology #Relationships #Freud #Lacan #Jung #WorkplaceCulture #PersonalGrowth #Empowerment #WorkLifeBalance #HumanResources #HRInnovation

References:

Freud, S. (1930). Civilization and its discontents. Hogarth Press.

Jung, C. G. (1959). The collected works of C.G. Jung (Vol. 9). Princeton University Press.

Lacan, J. (1953). The seminar of Jacques Lacan, Book I: Freud’s papers on technique 1953–1954. Cambridge University Press.

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