Leaders aren’t just in the business of being brilliant and coming up with extraordinary visions. A lot of the time they’re busy trying to find and retain people who can help them execute their agendas and get things done.

But finding great talent isn’t easy for a host of reasons.

Some leaders don’t like hiring people who are smarter then they are. Others don’t believe they can even find the right person. And of course there are those leaders who are impressed by a candidate for all the wrong reasons.

Sadly, the list goes on.

But we can learn from what good leaders and proactive thinkers do when they build their teams.

That’s why I arranged the following words of wisdom from famous CEOs and leaders (see the below presentation).

What impressed me most was how often I disagreed with some of the rules of thumb these top leaders and thinkers embrace.

For instance Mike Jeffries, CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., believes that he should only hire “good-looking people.” Interesting, but attractive people can’t be the golden thread that runs through all successful companies. Right?

Then there’s Henry Ford who says he doesn’t care if his people come from prison or Harvard. He’s just interested in hiring the “man.”

His larger point is sound–a person’s history doesn’t shape his whole–but still…if you could hire a Harvard graduate or an ex-con at the same rate, what would you do?

This isn’t just wisdom for employers. The below quotes can also help job-seekers shape their resumes and skills to cater to the sometimes bizarre needs of highly-driven CEOs.