Talent isn’t always waving at us. Sometimes, we have to seek it out.

One of the greatest responsibilities I carry as a rural hospital CEO isn’t just managing budgets or navigating regulations—it’s recognizing people.

Rural America presents challenges for every industry, but healthcare feels it most. Limited resources. Smaller talent pools. Fewer “traditional” candidates with perfectly linear resumes. If we waited only for the ideal, textbook hire, many rural hospitals simply wouldn’t survive.

That reality forces us to look deeper.

In rural healthcare, we often find talent in places others overlook. People who may not check every conventional box. People who may not yet see themselves as leaders. People who are capable—but unsure.

And here’s the truth I’ve learned: recognizing talent is only the first step. The real work is encouraging that talent to develop confidence, trust their own abilities, and step forward even when fear is present. Growth almost always requires leaving the comfort zone.

I’ve seen firsthand what happens when someone is given something rare—a chance. With the right leadership, coaching, and a little encouragement, individuals that others might have passed over can become exceptional contributors and leaders. Not because they were flawless, but because someone believed in them before they fully believed in themselves. I was/am that guy. I was goven a chance.

That principle isn’t new. It’s biblical.

God has always specialized in using the “unqualified” to do great things.

• Moses doubted his ability to speak, yet God chose him to confront Pharaoh and lead a nation.

“Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” — Exodus 4:12

• David was the youngest, overlooked by his own family, yet God saw a king.

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at… the Lord looks at the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7

• Peter was an ordinary fisherman, yet became a foundational leader of the early church.

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” — 1 Corinthians 1:27

Rural healthcare doesn’t thrive because we have it easy. It thrives because we invest in people—sometimes before they’re fully ready, sometimes before they feel confident, and often before anyone else would give them a shot.

When we recognize talent and encourage it, develop it, and believe in it, incredible things happen.

And that’s how great works are still being done—every day—in rural America.