It's Not the How or the What but the Who

Introduction

I’d like to begin with a tale of two CEOs. They have very different backgrounds. They lead very different companies. But they are united by two things: extraordinary leadership success and the relentless focus on talent that helped them achieve it. Both are committed to hiring only the best, to developing their brightest stars, and to uniting them all in exceptional teams—and, as a result, they boost not only their own careers and organizations but also society.

In my twenty-eight years as an executive search consultant, working across all major industries in more than forty countries, I’ve discovered that the key to outstanding performance and fulfillment—in both work and life—is the ability to surround oneself with outstanding ...