Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility

by Patty McCord

IN BRIEF ▶ To stay agile and move at the speed of change, hire the people you need for the future now. ▶ On a regular basis, take the time to envision what your business must look like six months from now in order to be high-performing. Make a movie of it in your head, imagining how people are working and the tools and skills they have. Then start immediately making the changes necessary to create that future. ▶ More people will not necessarily do more work or better work; it’s often better to have fewer people with more skills who are all high performers. ▶ Successful sports teams are the best model for managers; they are constantly scouting for new talent and culling their current roster. You’re building a team, not raising a family. ▶ Some members of your team may simply not be able to grow into high performers for the future you’re heading to. It is not the job of the business to invest in developing them; the job is to develop the product and market. ▶ Develop and promote from within when that’s the best option for performance; when it’s better to hire from outside, be proactive in doing so. ▶ The ideal is for people to take charge of developing themselves; this drives optimal growth for both individuals and companies.