Want to spot greatness?

What do legendary talent spotters see that the rest of us miss?
How do some people so naturally spot the "IT FACTOR" in others?
Why is talent so obvious in hindsight, but often opaque before proven?

These are the questions I have been thinking about for almost 30 years -- in executive search, advising leaders from the corner office to the Oval Office on the most important talent decisions, and as an author and keynote speaker, teaching audiences and coaching clients how they can invest in themselves and those who matter most.

In those 30 years, I can tell you that the single biggest mistake that almost every leader makes is this: "We need a rockstar!"

And they hire a rockstar.
And that rockstar works out, until they don't.

But, there is a better way, and that better way is something I honed over those 30 years: rather than hiring for past performance, it's time to start spotting future potential.

How? It's simpler than you might think.

There are nine success predictive behaviors that I'd look for, and the more of these I saw, the more I knew that the candidate in front of me wasn't just a rockstar in one-trick pony role but had the potential for greatness no matter what the organization, market, or client threw their way: Tenacity, Volition, Hunger, Plasticity, Agility, Curiosity, Wonder, Weight, and Empathy.

Find a handful of these in one circle, you'll get someone who can perform.
But, find someone whose breadth expands across their category, and you'll get someone who transforms.

Because here's what I know to be true this week: Rockstars lights up the room with their brilliance. And then that rockstar burns it down with their blind spots. True greatness looks different than you've been trained to see.

If you'd like to hear more, spend 12 minutes and watch this quick talk I gave last year to some leading association executives on how to spot greatness in ourselves and those who matter most.

Are you a CHRO, Hiring Manager, Executive Recruiter, or CEO who is tasked with hiring people? If so, I want to talk to you!

Do you work in human resources or executive search? Are you a leader whose job relies on you being able to spot the best talent?

If yes, I'd love to interview you — a 45-to-60-minute Zoom conversation about your professional experience making talent-related decisions. Your insights will contribute to a deeper understanding of how intuition actually operates in organizational hiring practices.

A few things to be crystal clear about:

• This is not a marketing funnel.
• This is not a pitch.
• There is nothing being sold.

I'm simply (and earnestly) gathering information from experts in the field.

If that's you, reply to this email and I'll send over everything you need to decide whether you'd like to participate, including what's involved, and what you'll get in return for being part of my doctoral studies.

If that's not you but you know someone who fits? Forward this. Tag them. Send them my way. Every introduction matters, and every conversation gets me one step closer to answering a question I've been carrying around for three decades.