(Mere) Talent Takes a Beating

Malcolm Gladwell had Sandy Nininger. I have March Madness. The results are the same.

Mere talent is taking a beating.

Gladwell’s writings – built in part on the work of people like Carol Dweck and Angela Duckworth – have shown that raw talent – smarts as we like to say in the business world – is overrated.

Gladwell demonstrated in The Talent Myth that hiring by collegiate pedigree – shorthand for smart – gave us the Enron fiasco (with McKinsey & Co’s significant backing).… Read the rest

One Tournament: Many (Life) Lessons

I love US collegiate basketball’s March Madness. There are great games to be watched, and terrific lessons for everyone.

And I’ve got lots of company; as Vittorio Tafur noted in the San Francisco Chronicle, the next three weeks are “the most glorious, democratic, and addictive event in sports.”

And those tournament lessons are for you, and the lessons are for me.… Read the rest