First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently

by Gallup Press

Conventional wisdom encourages you to: 1. select a person … based on his experience, intelligence and determination. 2. set expectations … by defining the right steps. 3. motivate the person … by helping him identify and overcome his weaknesses. 4. develop the person … by helping him learn and get promoted. On the surface, there seems to be nothing wrong with this advice. In fact, many managers and many companies follow it devoutly. But all of it misses. You cannot build a great team simply by selecting people based on their experience, intelligence and determination. Defining the right steps and fixing people’s weaknesses are not the most effective ways to generate sustained performance. And preparing someone for the next rung on the ladder completely misses the essence of development. Remember the revolutionary insight common to great managers: People don’t change that much. Don’t waste time trying to put in what was left out. Try to draw out what was left in. That is hard enough.