By Jim Mikula, President/CEO
The term Superbosses caught my attention, and I continue to reference an article written by Sydney Finkelstein titled Secrets of the Superbosses. Mr. Finkelstein is a Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He conducted 10 years of research and over 200 interviews of leaders in many industries including finance, fashion, restaurants, entertainment and NFL Head Coaches. Out of the interviews he identified 18 definite and 24+ likely Superbosses.
The Superbosses had a few things in common that elevated them from their peers. They identified and groomed talent. They shared a common approach to finding, nurturing, leading, and even letting go of great people. When the professor published his book on this topic, he referenced San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Bill Walsh. At the time, 20 of the 32 NFL Head Coaches trained under Coach Walsh or someone in his coaching tree.
Each of the Superbosses developed and followed specific practices in hiring and honing talent. The Superbosses sought out unusually gifted people with a focus on intelligence, creativity, and flexibility. They hired people they thought were “four times smarter” than they were.
Superbosses often dispensed with traditional interview processes. They posed unusual questions or created situations where they could observe a candidate from a different perspective. One took possible hires on a hike to the top of a 7,000-foot mountain. A fashion industry leader asked interviewees to explain what they were wearing and why.
Professor Finkelstein identified five practices of Superbosses:
· Set High Expectations: achieve the expectations through instilling a sense of confidence and exceptionalism in your people.
· Be a Master: give hands on experience (delegation) but also monitor progress, offer instruction and intense feedback. Step in to work side-by-side when necessary.
· Encourage Step-Change Growth: find ways to compress learning and growth. When someone excels, increase the steepness of the learning curve.
· Stay Connected: counselling great employees is a long-term commitment and both parties benefit immensely.
Knowing that most, if not all the readers of this column, work in small organizations, I pose a question: how can you—as a boss or an employee—take something from this study of Superbosses to be better at what you do? We all know there are Superstars as both bosses and employees.
Leadership Gillespie County Class of 2025 starts next week and we will certainly challenge the class to be Superstars!
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