Archive for: September, 2014

Hiring and managing for brilliance

Want game-changing ideas and execution? Hire misfits, weirdos, black sheep, difficult people who don’t fit into traditional roles because they are just brilliant. This isn’t a new idea, but when CEO’s say they want innovation, they don’t walk the talk by themselves; nor does human resources.

Corporations aren’t recruiting enough weirdos:

Breakthroughs need something to break through

breakthroughQuick, make a list of the biggest and boldest projects in your company. How many make you uncomfortable?

If none of them hit you in the gut and make you gasp for air, then you have a serious issue on your hands.

Here’s why “being uncomfortable” is a good sign that you are on the right track…

In organizations where trust exists, ideas trump hierarchy

One of the best articles I’ve read about culture and innovation is from HBR: First, fire all the managers. Written by Gary Hamel, it’s a very good and practical read, the idea of doing without managers shouldn’t surprise you if you’ve read his book The Future of Management. I won’t get into the specifics of the article (make sure you read it!) but I’ll just say that I also believe managers should not exist; but do believe that in some cases some management is necessary. More importantly, I believe organizations should be run by ideas, not titles.