The Talent Masters: Why Smart Leaders Put People Before Numbers

by Ram Charan

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About the book

Do you know how to effectively measure raw human talent if talent is the key predictor of whether a firm is up or down, a success or a failure (and it is)? Recognize a person's distinct combination of characteristics? Is it possible to further develop such talent? Convert what are ostensibly "soft" subjective judgments about individuals into objective criteria that are as clear, provable, and concrete as a financial statement's contents?

The talent masters are the ones who do it. They prioritize people over numbers for the simple reason that talent is what generates results. Those who can extract meaning from events and the forces that effect a business, as well as look at the world and estimate the risks to take and the risks to avoid, are successful.

The Talent Masters is the result of a rare combination of abilities: Bill Conaty spent forty years at GE, where he worked closely with CEOs Jack Welch and Jeff Immelt to build the company's world-famous talent machine. Ram Charan is a well-known advisor to businesses all around the world. Together, they publish the ultimate book on talent, a breakthrough in how to take a firm to the next level, based on their incomparable expertise and insight:

The masters' secrets The intricacies of how world-class organizations like GE, P&G, Hindustan Unilever (and others) rely on their systems for identifying and cultivating leadership talent decade after decade to achieve spectacular results.
Personal and systemic. Why a systemic rhythm of evaluations, as well as deep knowledge and intimacy with your talent, are the foundation for developing a steady, self-renewing stream of leaders at all levels of an organization—from first-line supervisors to the CEO.
The capability that lasts. Financial results, market share, brand, and legacy products all have a half-life that seems to be getting shorter with each passing year. The only competency that lasts is talent.
What to do first thing in the morning on Monday. The Talent Masters toolkit contains detailed instructions for evaluating and developing your company's talent mastery capabilities.