Superbosses : how exceptional leaders master the flow of talent
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 225-251) and index.

"Based on years of research, Sydney Finkelstein, professor at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and author of Why Smart Executives Fail, looks at how a few visionaries consistently develop the most successful talent in their industries. After dining at the Chez Panisse, the restaurant run by legendary chef Alice Waters, Sydney Finkelstein got to thinking. Dozens of chefs from Chez Panisse had gone on to open their own restaurants and win fame after working with Waters. Indeed, she was behind many of the most successful players in the industry. Could this pattern exist elsewhere? Did other industries have their own superstars who developed the majority of leaders in their particular field? After years of research, Finkelstein found that similarly powerful mentors--whom he calls Superbosses--do indeed exist in every industry, from finance to entertainment to fashion and the arts. These Superbosses create a network of superstars, using techniques for hiring, developing, challenging, promoting, and even letting go of great people in ways that are often counterintuitive. Finkelstein profiles luminary Superbosses such as Waters, Lorne Michaels, Miles Davis, Ralph Lauren, Larry Ellison, and Bonnie Fuller and looks at how they manage and lead their best people, from their surprising hiring practices to their impossibly high expectations to their support of people even after they leave. The practices of Superbosses, Finkelstein found, are in fact teachable."--,Provided by publisher.