Jim Collins, one of the world’s most influential management researchers and commentators, calls them the “right people.”1 Jack Welch, arguably the most successful CEO of the twentieth century, says they’re “stars,”2 while famed author and professor Peter Drucker, pictures them as “masterful conductors.”3 These experts are describing the people who truly determine whether an organization thrives or fails.
But what makes these “star” executives so effective? If we knew, we could identify these traits in others and, more important, develop them within ourselves. The problem is that nobody has accurately identified the fundamental characteristics that make someone a “masterful conductor.”
There have been literally hundreds ...
