The 12 Big Ideas:

• You’re never going to get it right all the time

• Why resilience is so critical

• Some activities are valuable not because they produce some tangible, but that they reveal intangible abilities

• Mettle – mental agility, adaptation, creativity

• Need to figure out how people respond when things go wrong

• Compromise on experience; don’t compromise on character.

• The best people dive into their mistakes and figure out where they went wrong. They don’t use broad generalizations and vague descriptions

• Figure out if people want to make a mark on the world

• Bet big on people – give them autonomy and flexibility to achieve

• Most development programs are incremental in nature – they don’t move the needle

• Always be proactive – get things done

• Always ask why – be aggressive in finding the truth

My highlights From the Book:

You’re never going to get it right all the time:

Even the most skilled experts don’t always succeed. If they keep trying. Perhaps the best perspective comes from Bill Polian, the most successful pro football executive of recent years. Six times he has taken a team to the Super Bowl; six times he has been named NFL executive of the year. His eye for talent on the rise as help them build remarkably successful teams in Buffalo and Indianapolis. That there have been years for misfires, to the point that Polian twice was dismissed by owners who lost faith in his work.

“This isn’t an exact science,” Polian says. “We don’t always get it right. In fact, we are struggling to get it right 55% of the time. But if you reach 55%, you will make it to the playoffs.”

Why resilience is so critical:

Look for the hidden virtues. One of the most overlooked strengths in America day can be expressed in one word, resilience. It’s invisible on most resumes. It’s hard to spot in a brief interview. Yet in profession at profession, resilience turns out to be absolutely crucial in differentiating between people who do vastly better than expected – those who turn out to be severe disappointments. When Army special forces assessors asked soldiers to show what they can do in the nightmarish circumstances of the predawn trailer push, they are turning the spotlight on soldiers ability to bounce back from adversity.

Some activities are valuable not because they produce some tangible, but that they reveal intangible abilities:

The reason that rope climbs, multi-mile marches, and the like have become so prominent and special forces selection isn’t because military leadership regards those as exact matches with every day soldiering. Rather, these tests help gauge the abstract virtues – perseverance, motivation, judgment, etc. – the matter in almost any calling. The score sheets for telling each candidate’s performance will be on the stopwatch analysis of how quickly each candidate finishes. What the raters want are clues about the candidates character.

Mettle – mental agility, adaptation, creativity:

Anna Simmons, a Harvard trained anthropologists who spent more than a year observing special forces soldiers during training exercises, declare that the most important strength of the soldiers was what she called “mettle”. In her 1997 book, the company they keep, she single out special forces soldiers for being able to function effectively without guidance, tolerate stress, make adjustments – is a lack of stunning decisiveness when the situation calls for it. In some she wrote, mettle is “being able to deal confidently with the unknown.”

Dick couch says - special forces training is all about finding talented men who have adaptive, creative minds… Physical toughness is a requisite; mental agility is essential.”

The idea that temperament counts – this is much as mainstream credentials – has been the family become part of the way that some top hedge fund investors now think about talent. SAC capital entire management Corp. both used board-certified psychiatrist to size up the coach and coming talent. The idea is to see who is best suited to making good decisions and chaotic markets.

Need to figure out how people respond when things go wrong:

What teach for America wants to see now is how a teacher holds up on things start going wrong. Cannas can regroup smoothly here, that’s a good sign.

There is a broader lesson and teach for America’s newfound willingness to keep retooling its hiring system. The best experts in any field consummate stretch their horizon so they can do something new. That is how they stay sharp. Noble laureates to this, great composers do this – and so do the savviest judges of human potential. They refused to become so have found that familiar customs unthinkingly turn into ruts. Instead they keep analyzing their own track records, but different opportunities in unexpected misfires. Doing so helps turn agility and continual improvement into a way of life.

Compromise on experience; don’t compromise on character:

Compromise on experience; don’t compromise on character.

The best people dive into their mistakes and figure out where they went wrong. They don’t use broad generalizations and vague descriptions:

The best candidates are consummate and figure out why they went off the path, they’re introspective. They remember every detail. The ones who don’t learn much more have hazy memories. They tend to blame external factors. Sound intellectually honest, but they aren’t. Their excuses are plentiful. The difference between rebounders and invaders is hardwired into people. If you are inquiring well, you should be able to get at it.

break down barriers that restrict where you look. The talent universe is full of overlooked people, shun for reasons of geography, status, or background.

When you are exploring, ask: what can go right? Great discoveries happen only of assessors are willing to suspend their skepticism at first, so that the underdogs get a chance to show a spark of promise.

Figure out if people want to make a mark on the world:

High achievers desire to make a mark in the world is so intense that usually trumps every other motivator. Talent rich organizations know this. They cater to people who are always looking for harder challenges, bigger arenas, and greater mastery.

Bet big on people – give them autonomy and flexibility to achieve:

Ed Catmull - our philosophy is you get creative people, you bet big on them, you give them enormous leeway in support, and provide them with an environment in which they can get honest feedback from everyone.

Most development programs are incremental in nature – they don’t move the needle:

Can big mainstream companies harness the spirit of extreme additions? No. Most leadership development program stretch participants a bit but not too much. Comprehensive programs with the goal of creating many dozens of promotable executives, rather than staging all-out test of valor that elicit certain efforts of everyone left standing at the end.

Always be proactive – get things done:

CEOs who are persistent proactive get things done. CEOs who are not, do not get things done, even if they’re good listeners, team players, etc. If you do not get things done, the people working for you get frustrated or relieved, particularly the better ones.

Always ask why – be aggressive in finding the truth:

When you are an aggressive listener, you interview candidates differently. Once you pass the initial pleasantries, you don’t ramble or try to make friends. Stay focused and intensely interested, but not palsy. Zero in on issues that matter to you, which usually relates Canada’s core character. Ask a lot of follow-up questions. Keep digging. Your best queries may be as basic as why? Or what happened next? Don’t settle for well rehearsed stories.