Written By: Chris Allaire
So, where is all this advice coming from?
- ChatGPT told me
- Claude told me this was the answer
- Someone has a lot of followers on Instagram
- A video has been viewed a million times on YouTube
Now, before taking anything seriously, are you asking:
- Who is this person?
- What have they actually built or delivered?
- Are they in the arena—or selling from the sidelines?
- Would I trade places with them?
If the answer is no… then why are you thinking like them?
Most of what you read these days is noise. Knowing who you listen to in business matters more than ever, because the wrong inputs quietly shape weak decisions, bad hiring, and wasted effort.
After all, people sound sharp, confident, and polished; but a lot of them have never actually carried the weight of what they’re talking about.
If you want to separate in 2026, this is one of the simplest levers:
Tighten who you listen to.
A Few Practical Filters:
- Proximity to the work
First, are they actually doing it right now? - Proof of outcomes
Next, what have they delivered—not talked about? - Skin in the game
Then, do they win and lose based on their decisions? - Signal over scale
Finally, just because someone is loud doesn’t mean they’re right
Quick Example—Hiring
Right now, you’re hearing:
“Use AI to screen everything.”
“Speed wins.”
“Volume solves it.”
At first, it sounds great.
But the best teams? They’re doing the opposite.
Instead, they’re going deeper on fewer people, and actually understanding motivation, fit, and reality. After all, one bad hire costs more than a slower, better decision. That’s why better hiring decisions still come from judgment, not just automation.
One bad hire costs more than a slower, better decision.
The Hidden Cost of Listening to the Wrong People
Of course, bad advice doesn’t always look bad upfront.
Sometimes it sounds smart.
Sometimes it feels efficient.
Sometimes it aligns with what you want to hear.
But over time, it creates:
- Strategic drift → You start solving the wrong problems
- Execution gaps → You prioritize ideas over outcomes
- False confidence → You think you’re moving forward… but you’re just busy
Bottom line
Ultimately, you don’t need more advice.
You need better inputs.
Because you will start thinking like the people you listen to.
So be ruthless.
Not about who sounds good—
but about who’s actually done it.
So, if you want better decisions in 2026, pay closer attention to who you listen to in business and be ruthless about filtering the noise.
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