The Talent Magnet - Attracting & Unlocking Talent
Leadership is about finding, attracting, and nurturing talent
This week on Learning to Lead live we continued to explore the concepts within the the book “Multipliers” by Liz Wiseman, digging into The Talent Magnet.
As a leader, the talent you attract, lead, and develop is one of the most important things you can do. It’s incredibly rewarding to see your team members thrive and achieve goals, both individual and collective.
The live discussion this week was insightful; here are a few concepts to help you become a Talent Magnet:
TALENT MAGNETS:
Attract the best talent
Utilize talent to its fullest potential
Accelerates others careers
EMPIRE BUILDERS
Bring in top talent, make big promises & then underutilize them
Disenchant talented people with great potential
Amass resources for self-promotion & their own gain
Are you a “Talent Magnet”?
Do you draw them in and utilize them to their fullest potential?
Would people say they have grown more with you than any other leader they have worked with?
Do people seek you out to work for you?
A CYCLE OF ATTRACTION - example of the Talent Magnet in action
In 1914 - Ernest Shackleton, the venerated British explorer, embarked on an expedition to traverse Antarctica. His recruitment advertisement in The Times (London) read:
Men wanted: For hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor & recognition in case of success
Surprisingly, hundreds of men applied. Shackleton with the wisdom of an experienced captain, staffed his crew with men of certain orientation - those attracted to adventure & recognition and realistically prepared for hardship. Shackleton’s ability to attract the right team was one key factor in the survival of every member of the expedition.
The cycle of attraction begins with a leader possessing the confidence and magnetism to attract sheer raw talent & the right mix of intelligence needed for the challenge.
THE FOUR PRACTICES OF THE TALENT MAGNET:
LOOK FOR TALENT EVERYWHERE - Talent Magnets ignore boundaries
Cast a wide net to find talent in many settings and diverse forms
Talent magnets are blind to org boundaries - living in a world without walls or hierarchical or lateral restrictions
Knows genius comes in many forms:
First example: the mind that excels at quantitative analysis or verbal reasoning - capabilities measured, cognitive intelligence
Second example: the mind that offers creative genius, innovating through fresh thinking & bold ideas
Third example: the mind that is critical, spotting every problem or landmine lurking in a plan
Fourth example: the mind that finds ways to tunnel around landmines
FIND PEOPLE’S NATIVE GENIUS - Talent Magnets know how to uncover & access the native genius
Uncover what people not only do exceptionally well but also what comes naturally to them; what they do easily without effort or condition.
See something that gives people inherent satisfaction, something they tend to offer voluntarily because it is effortless, they can stand ready and willing to contribute whether it is a formal job requirement or not.
It begins by carefully observing them in action and looking for spikes of authentic enthusiasm. When watching someone in action, ask these questions: What do they do better than anything else they do? What do they do better than the people around them? What do they do without effort? What do they do without being asked?
UTILIZE PEOPLE AT THEIR FULLEST - Talent magnets uncover the native genius of others and look for opportunities that demand that capability
Notice people’s talent, label it for them and tells them why it matters
Connect people with opportunities that allow them to be used at their highest point of contribution
Create life-changing & deeply rewarding experiences
REMOVE THE BLOCKERS
Talent Magnets are attractors and growers of talent
Remove impediments (even people) blocking and impeding the growth of others
Reflect on their impact and influence to assure they are not the blocker
HOW TO BECOME A TALENT MAGNET
Become a genius watcher
Make a list of 8-10 people you work with closely
Start to note the things they do both easily and freely
Go beyond surface-level skills (e.g., good at excel spreadsheets)
Test out your thinking
Ask a colleague if they see the same capabilities you see
Test your thinking with the person you have been watching to see if they agree with your conclusions
Work it
Once you have found a native genius in someone, make a list of 5 different roles you could put this person in that would utilize & expand this genius.
Go beyond formal jobs and dentify ad hoc roles, task forces, or stretch assignments
Pull some weeds (blockers)
Look for people that have a diminishing effect on the team
Recognize the high cost of destructive genius
Make a plan to remove the blockers is difficult but it is necessary
What are you multiplying as a leader? What are you investing in? What impact can you have on others?
Talent Magnets not only attract and develop talent, but they also celebrate them as they grow, and when they leave the team. They shout about their successes and celebrate them. These celebrations become the best recruiting tool. Leaders
“I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow.” - Woodrow Wilson
Listen to the Full Replay
We are on break next weekend! The next Learning to Lead Live event will be on Saturday, July 9 @ 9:30 am PT. The topic will be shared on Wednesday (July 6) so be sure to subscribe for updates and reminders!
Resources
Multipliers by Liz Wiseman - The book we are digging into for the next few weeks, packed with so many amazing leadership lessons
The Multiplier Effect - The first session in our series
INBOUND 2022 - September 6th - 9th, 2022: INBOUND is an annual event, powered by HubSpot, that unites thought leaders from over 161 countries across marketing, sales, customer success, and revenue operations.
Newsletters I read daily to stay informed and get inspired: The Hustle, Morning Brew, Seth Godin’s Blog, Atlas Obscura, Oprah Daily
Networking & Job Openings
Director, Product Management, Media Pipelines and Tools @ Disney
Director, Technical Program Management - Experience Engineering @ Disney
Director, Product Management @ Disney
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