RULE 16

Hire raw talent

Do you know how many publishers turned down the first Harry Potter book? I’ve heard several numbers quoted, but the answer is at least eight, whoever you ask. And what does that say about Barry Cunningham, the publisher who finally signed up the author? To just about everyone it says he was a whole lot smarter than all the guys who turned the book down.

Every hugely successful manager was once fresh out of school or college, waiting for someone to recognize their talent and offer them a job. They were junior managers looking for promotion, or middle managers hoping it would be them who’d be asked to head up the new project or department or enterprise.

These are the people you want on your team. The raw talent, ready to step up. Never mind about experience – anyone can get that, given time. But you can’t fake real talent, brains, energy. When you find someone who has those, offer them the job first and worry about the details later. I’m not talking about mere enthusiasm – sadly lots of untalented people have that – but real ability and an intelligent grasp of the issues they’ll be dealing with.

Of course, these talented recruits could eventually outshine you. They could fly up the career ladder and even overtake you. That worries some people. A lot. But it doesn’t worry a Rules Player. You see, Rules Players understand that if it says anything about them at all, it will be reflected glory that shines on them. Just like the publisher who offered J.K. Rowling her first contract.

Think about it. These people are going to get to the top with or without you. How much better to be the one who had the perception to recognize them, and the sense to hire them, and the privilege to set them on their upward way.

Once you start putting your own team together, the people in it and their performance says more about you as a manager than anything else does. The better the team, the more impressed people will be with you. Hell, some top managers will confess to you that their only real talent has been in hiring people who were smarter than them. They may say it self-deferentially, but actually it’s really the only skill you need to get to the top. Know who to hire, and then stay out of their way except to give them what they need to do the job. That doesn’t make you a bad manager, it makes you a top-class one, because your team will outperform the rest thanks to your talent-spotting skills.