Game Changer summary

Everybody wants great employees working for them. After all, a company is only as good as its people. But if you want to find, hire, and manage star performers, the old rules no longer apply. The landscape of work has changed dramatically, and so have the routes to success.

Today, work is more interconnected than ever before. At the same time, workers are more independent, constantly on the move, and looking for new challenges. This is the new talent economy, and to succeed in it, it’s crucial that managers are able to attract, manage, and retain top talent.

That’s where these blinks come in. Discover how to find the talent that will deliver 10x more than you’re used to, and how to bring out that talent’s full potential.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

• why being weird can be a blessing;
• what a “success impulse” is; and
• how to find someone to sing your praises.

Getting a 10xer to join your company is a lot like getting behind the wheel of a Ferrari for the first time. All you can think about is how fast you’ll be going – and who can blame you? That’s what a sports car is for. But remember: a Ferrari is only as good as its driver. If you don’t know how to shift gears and control the power of the engine, you won’t be able to get the most out of your expensive car. 

10xers are the same way. They can take your company to new heights, but you have to know how to manage them effectively. Old-school methods that emphasize deference and set routines won’t get the job done. To get the most out of your 10xers, you have to take a different approach.

Here’s the key message: Give your 10xers space and flexibility to thrive. 

To understand 10xers, you first have to understand how the modern workplace has changed. Silicon Valley has led the trend in workplaces everywhere becoming more relaxed, more interconnected, and more horizontal. Modern work is faster and more varied, so teams have become smaller and more flexible, able to meet the needs of a changing world. 

Often this flexibility comes in the form of unusual hours. Thanks to technological advances like videoconferencing and cloud storage, there’s no reason why work has to be done between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. in a set location. In fact, sometimes it’s better when work is done outside of ordinary schedules. Part of what makes 10xers so powerful is their ability to enter what psychologists call “flow state” in which they can get challenging work done free of distractions. These states can descend at any time – and for many 10xers, they come at night.

Here’s one example of how flexibility can pay off: a 10x developer named Ryan was hired by a cybersecurity start-up. During hiring negotiations, the start-up agreed to let him work remotely, with flexible hours, making that concession in order to bring Ryan’s talent onto the team. A few months into his employment, the company encountered a data science problem unrelated to Ryan’s work. However, he was attracted to the challenge, took it on, and ended up finding a great solution for the company. Giving 10xers the time and freedom to work on their own terms enables them to deliver the goods.

Think about what drives you to work hard and pursue success in your career. Maybe it’s money, or status, or the desire to solve problems. Most likely, it’s some combination of all those things, because your experiences and interests combine to make a unique mix.

10xers are no different. Long ago, bosses didn’t need to know anything about their employees outside of work. Today, however, things are different. Bosses have to know how to treat people like, well, people. They should pay attention to the unique things that motivate their employees in order to keep the companies running at full speed.

The key message is this: For peak performance, managers must learn what drives their 10xers.

Corporate structures have changed dramatically over the past few decades. Companies can’t be rigid and strictly hierarchical anymore, as top talent can easily move from one company to another. If a manager tries to impose his will without being open to employee input, 10xers will simply leave. As a result, managers need new strategies to win 10xers over and get them to buy into what companies are trying to accomplish. 

To start, you need to think of your 10xers as humans, not just cogs in a machine. This means learning about what motivates them. No two 10xers are the same: a single 26-year-old will have different needs and desires from a married 36-year-old. Learning what workers care about and using that to connect with them is essential.

Today, bosses need to be like media mogul Jesse Lee. Lee’s media company may be a newcomer on the scene, but he’s drawn employees from more established firms because his management style emphasizes flexibility and personal support. He gives every employee the creative space to work on whatever motivates him or her, and holds regular workshops with younger employees to discuss work/life balance and build personal connections. 

And because different people have different needs and desires, a modern boss must be flexible and willing to adjust things to meet the needs of different employees. The days are long gone when a boss could demand that everyone do exactly the same thing, exactly as she wants. It may sound like a paradox, but being hands-off actually forms tighter bonds and produces better work.

By now, you should be able to see that 10xers are worth their weight in gold, and that recruiters should put their efforts into attracting them. But how are you supposed to find them in the first place? As with gold, there’s no guarantee that your search will prove successful – you can’t just hang up a sign asking for 10xers to come work with you.

But don’t lose hope. There are plenty of tricks that firms use to identify potential 10xers. One of the keys top managers use is to identify attitudes associated with success. There are lots of talented workers, but 10xers are the ones who make positive choices and are always pushing themselves to become better.

This is the key message: To find potential 10xers, look for people with a “success impulse.”

To understand why a 10xer succeeds, you have to understand why others fail. Some people have sabotage impulses: they get in their own way and waste their potential. Some common signs of a sabotage impulse include poor communication, the constant creation of conflict, and a refusal to grow and learn. 

Consultant Jonathan Lowenhar runs a start-up advisory firm and has learned to spot these signs. One of the biggest tells for him is someone who is more obsessed with being right than learning from others and building connections. No matter how smart these people are, this impulse eventually leads to trouble, because there is always more to learn. 

In contrast, a success impulse is a natural desire for growth and development. 10xers are curious and want to be better, no matter what it takes. They’re able to communicate well with others, and they’re passionate about their goals – no matter how big they may be. 

How do you identify this in an interview? Look for people with confidence and a willingness to push themselves. Don’t be afraid to get creative: Scott Goldsmith, president of an advertising company, likes to ask applicants how weird they are on a scale of 1-10. Tens are a little too weird, but 5s and below tend to be too bland. The people who tend to be 10xers are the ones who confidently say 7 to 9, and explain what it is about them that makes them weird. These people usually know themselves well and aren’t afraid to follow their passions – classic signs of the success impulse. 

Trust is an essential part of any relationship, and your relationship with your 10xers is no different. Sometimes you’ll be lucky and find that trust is there from the get-go, but more often it’s something that has to be built with lots of work and lots of time. But don’t let that scare you off – it’s absolutely possible to build trust. 

And what’s more, the recipe’s no secret. While 10xers are modern and often break with old conventions, the best way to build trust is still good old-fashioned honest communication.

The key message here is: To build trust with 10xers, managers need to communicate well and check their egos.

Building trust is about setting the right expectations. When people trust you, they have confidence in you and your ability to do what you say you can do. It takes a long time to build trust, but very little to destroy it; all it takes is one missed assignment or failed project for others to lose their trust in you.

As such, it’s essential that you work to establish open and honest communication with your 10xers. This means being up-front about your capabilities and expectations, and letting others know when you’re having difficulties. Nothing will blow up trust faster than failing to do so, even if you have good intentions. In one notable instance, a medical tech start-up kept missing deadlines because their desire to impress investors led them to make promises they couldn’t keep. In the process, they ruined their reputation – and lost the trust of their clients.

And remember, trust is a two-way street. You should trust your 10xers, and they should trust you in return. FBI behavior analyst Robin Dreeke has years of field experience studying trust, and he advises that one of the most effective ways to build trust is to show that you’re willing to sacrifice. It may be hard, but putting your ego aside and putting others first goes a long way toward creating two-way trust. For example, Solomon and Blumberg advised a client to take a less-lucrative deal at one place than he could have gotten elsewhere because it was a better fit for him personally. In doing so, they decreased their commission, but gained the client’s trust by proving that they were interested in his happiness first and foremost. 

Imagine giving a public presentation arguing why a company should hire your best friend. Even if you’re not a natural public speaker, you could probably come up with a convincing argument pretty quickly. Maybe he’s dedicated, or good with people, or extra creative; whatever the case, you know him well and could convey his strengths without much trouble.

Now imagine standing up in front of a crowd and doing the same to argue why you should be hired. A lot harder, right? You’d probably be worried about coming off as conceited, or that people wouldn’t believe you. It’s a valid fear that demonstrates something important about promoting your talent: it’s always better to have a third party vouching for you.

Here’s the key message: To get other people to understand your value when negotiating, have a third party speak for you.

An endorsement is always stronger coming from a third party. For one thing, she doesn’t have to worry about being personally hurt by criticism or rejection when negotiating. Her praise is more credible and a stronger symbol of your actual talent. And she can ask for the moon without any shame or fear. Put it all together, and a third party can make a far better case for you than you ever could. 

Just ask Solomon and Blumberg: their talent agency found that 10xers were regularly getting paid only one-third of their market value when they negotiated their own contracts – in part because they were uncomfortable advocating for themselves. The moment they found a third party to negotiate on their behalf, they started earning what they were really worth.

That being said, you don’t want just any third party. Asking a stranger on the street to negotiate for you won’t help much. The ideal third-party spokesperson is someone who knows you personally and understands the sector you work in. This will help others trust that person, and it means she’ll be able to put your talents and accomplishments into context. 

You also want someone who’s invested in your success, so you’ll trust she wants the best for you. A book agent is a perfect example of this dynamic. Solomon and Blumberg’s agent, Lucinda, is a great third-party advocate because she shares with them a background in the music industry and has a close relationship with the people she represents. When a third party like that speaks, the world will listen.

All this talk of the relationship between talent and management can hide a truth – the divide between the two roles isn’t as big as you think it is. Think of a superstar rock musician. No clearer example of talent in the world, right? But when a rock star goes on tour, he serves as manager to an entourage of musicians, assistants, and crew members. A musician who can’t manage is going to have a harder time than one who knows how to lead – and if the problems are big enough, his entire career can be affected. Talent and management ability go hand in hand, and if you don’t understand both sides, you’ll have a hard time navigating the world.

This is the key message: In the modern workforce, you need to know how to be both manager and talent.

The traditional setup has managers giving orders and talent accepting them – but the relationship between manager and talent is much more nuanced than that. Managers can think of themselves as talent as well: in order to improve, they need support from people around them, as well as specific skills. And talent can be management: they need to know how to set goals and direct others in teams to accomplish tasks. Each side needs to understand the other. Don’t be fooled by thinking that because you’re good at one side, you don’t need to work on the other.

This isn’t just a theoretical definition: in the modern world, being able to wear two hats makes you twice as valuable. As companies shift and evolve and work responsibilities change accordingly, being able to function as both manager and talent gives you an edge over others who are restricted to only one role. Developer Jason Rubenstein says that when he gets hired, he inevitably gets asked to function as both talent and manager. His ability to do so has helped boost his reputation as an invaluable 10xer.

Don’t be afraid to get outside help on this: Solomon and Blumberg give the example of Cathy, a manager at a global marketing agency who reached out to a leadership coach for self-improvement after she’d hit a wall. By getting to understand herself better, she found new ways to move the company forward. Connections between talent and management are like this everywhere, so no matter where you are in the hierarchy, you can benefit by improving your ability to operate in both roles.