Chad's Reviews > Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World

Talent explores how to find ambitious, creative people for leadership roles. Cowen and Gross take the stance that personality matters in whether someone will be successful (whether they have innate drive and curiosity, are willing to work hard) and that this personality can be revealed relative quickly through a specific interview style (get the candidate telling stories, use specific, forcing questions). "Personality is revealed on weekends," and you want to get an accurate view into the candidate's "weekend."

I see the book as having a few different purposes. While framed as a guide for people making people decisions, specifically those looking to hire for non-rote positions, it's also a guide for job-seekers. The ideal candidates described in this book are curious (possibly obsessed), ambitious, confident, and competent. They have strong networks and have reputable people vouching for them. They've gone against the grain in ways where they think the orthodox way isn't the best way.

My favorite insight from the book is nestled at the end: "At critical moments, you can raise the aspirations of other people significantly, especially when they are relatively young, simply by suggesting they do something more important and ambitious than what they might have in mind."

My main criticism of the book is that nothing is definitive; it's not a playbook. There is a lot of nuance in all people decisions, and something as simple as good grades could suggest "intelligent" it could also suggest "conformist" or "cheater." And even if they are a cheater, does that imply bad morals, or only the realization that the education system is flawed and an ambitious student should spend minimal time on grades on maximum time on learnings? This book pushes you to appreciate the nuance, ask deeper questions, and really try to understand someone's mentality and potential rather than just "can they do the job."

I imagine other critiques of this book would include that this method invites bias, and is far from the structured hiring approach currently touted as a best practice. While somewhat justified, I think the admission is that the job description of a founder, entrepreneur, or dynamic leader isn't exact, and isn't just a set of competencies. Cowen and Gross examine their biases, try to find where they could be flawed, and then make the best decisions they can with the information available.


Notes:

It's hard to find great talent. Be aware of the talent level you need; what skills, competencies, and personality traits will be effective in the role. If you aren't a top-tier institution, don't expect top-tier talent. If you think you have found top-tier talent, question why they'd want to work for you.

In terms of Five Factor personality traits, which is of limited usefulness, you likely want a high openness and low agreeableness founder. This will allow them to go against the grain and take in new information, while remaining confident in themselves.

Stamina is an important trait for founders. Can they work in the industry for decades?

Does the candidate use conceptual frameworks? Do they ask good and interesting questions about why the world is the way it is?

Pattern match not just to people you've met, but to fictional people as well. Leave error bars for unrealistic characters, no one is as perfect as fictional heroes.

Certain "disabilities" may be an advantage in certain settings. The intensity and focus associated with autism is the main example here, among others.

It's likely women and other groups are undervalued in today's market due to stereotypes. That can be an arbitrage opportunity for employers.

Building a big network is a huge benefit for finding talent. You can either use a scouting method (looking for talent / referrals) or a gaming method (hold a competition). Depending if the skill is measurable or visible in a structured competitive setting is helpful in knowing which to use.