Tag: K. Anders Ericsson

Posted on

[Tips for CEOs] Practice, Practice, Practice

Steve Jobs on a bad day is a better presenter than 99% of the stage show CEOs in the world.

Is it his theme setting, demonstrated enthusiasm, using an outline, and ability to make numbers meaningful as suggested by communications coach Carmine Gallo’s post “Deliver a Presentation like Steve Jobs?”

No.

And men’s NBA shooting star extraordinaire Dirk Nowitzki – he of the pirouettes and one-footed shots and upset NBA championship by his Dallas Mavericks over the heavily favored Miami Heat.… Read the rest

Posted on

Cherry Trees Are Blooming: Anyone Notice?

People want to be successful, which is usually a combination of being effective (doing the right thing) and efficient (doing things well), putting folks down a path to achieving favorable results.

Sometimes – as counterintuitive as it seems – that means doing less, not more.

Optimal performance (think weight training, writing a dissertation, running a business) is a combination of intense work and intermittent breaks.… Read the rest

Posted on

Talent Wars: The “A” Player Hoax

We love easy solutions: take a pill and lose weight; go to the right schools and become a zillionaire; hire the right “A” player new talent while clearing out the “C” deadwood and make your business a great success.

But life (mostly) is not that way. As Ronald Reagan said, “It’s simple, but not simplistic.”

And here’s the hoax – the canard; the idea that if you just hire those “A Players” – people like the Legion of Super Heroes (pictured right)  – the folks in the top 10% of their roles – and “release” the untrainable B and C players to their future career path you’ll have stocked the right talent to have your company become a success.… Read the rest

Posted on

The Myth of Talent & Achievement Takes Another Blow: San Francisco Giants Win World Series

The myth that talent leads to achievement took another hit to credibility this week. The San Francisco Giants –  a crew of “misfits and outcasts” –  brought the ultimate symbol of North American professional baseball achievement and winning in the form of a World Series pennant back to the City by the Bay.

Talent, it turns out again, is overrated.… Read the rest

Posted on

You Did What? (And How To Get More Common Sense)

Thomas Edison noted “The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are first, hard work, second, stick-to-itiveness, and third, common sense.”

Carol Dweck, Anders Ericsson, and Angela Duckworth have the first two qualities well-covered, I’ll take a crack at the third.

“Common sense,”  it’s been said (C. E. Stowe) “is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.”… Read the rest

Posted on

The End of “High Potential” Employees: What Does It Mean for You?

My doctor Michael Sdao practices what he terms “evidence-based” medicine: he puts his faith primarily in approaches and procedures that have been validated by substantiated research. While it’s not necessarily the most daring of approaches,  in the main the outcomes (knock on wood) have been pretty good.

Organizations, on the other hand, are pretty hit and miss as it pertains to using human capital systems and processes that have been validated by evidence based research.… Read the rest