Yes, this really makes sense to me. Someone who performed at a top level at a certain organization is immediately out of sorts starting at the new place. If you can take a little bit of the environment with them by also bringing some of their trusted team, that could be the key.
Plus, I think sometimes the team that they surrounded themselves with at the old organization may be a lot of the reason why they were so successful in the first place.
The idea that A-players are part of a larger ecosystem, and that their success is heavily influenced by their environment, is a powerful reminder that hiring is not just about finding the right person, but also about creating a culture and system that ALLOWS them to thrive.
I love the concept of asking a star player who they need to succeed, and being intentional about building the infrastructure that supports their work. It's a reminder that even the best performers need a team and resources to do their best work.
The analogy of asking a quarterback to play without wide receivers or an offensive line is spot on. It's unrealistic to expect someone to succeed without the right support system in place.
What struck me most is the idea that you don't need to wait for a unicorn; but, you can build the environment where unicorn-level results can happen.
That's a really empowering mindset shift for leaders and organizations. This was a great read, Sharran
Referencing research on Wall Street analysts to explain leadership performance across industries isn’t insight. It borders on intellectual convenience.
Analysts operate inside hyper-specialized, infrastructure-dense ecosystems with proprietary data, established teams, and institutional advantages.
Translating that into a universal rule for hiring operators or executives in real companies is flimsy at best.
There’s a fundamental difference between leadership insight and leadership theater.
One is earned through decades of operational execution.
The other is packaged, polished, and optimized for social-media virality.
And let’s be honest: if someone’s brilliance collapses the moment the backdrop changes, they were never the catalyst.
They were the beneficiaries of a system someone else built.
Organizations don’t need unicorn mythology.
They need leaders with durable competence backed by emotionally stable owners.
Chasing the charismatic narratives of social media influencers is how companies drift.
Acting like adults with clarity, rigor, and grounded expectations is how they win.
Yes, this really makes sense to me. Someone who performed at a top level at a certain organization is immediately out of sorts starting at the new place. If you can take a little bit of the environment with them by also bringing some of their trusted team, that could be the key.
Plus, I think sometimes the team that they surrounded themselves with at the old organization may be a lot of the reason why they were so successful in the first place.
This article really resonates with me.
The idea that A-players are part of a larger ecosystem, and that their success is heavily influenced by their environment, is a powerful reminder that hiring is not just about finding the right person, but also about creating a culture and system that ALLOWS them to thrive.
I love the concept of asking a star player who they need to succeed, and being intentional about building the infrastructure that supports their work. It's a reminder that even the best performers need a team and resources to do their best work.
The analogy of asking a quarterback to play without wide receivers or an offensive line is spot on. It's unrealistic to expect someone to succeed without the right support system in place.
What struck me most is the idea that you don't need to wait for a unicorn; but, you can build the environment where unicorn-level results can happen.
That's a really empowering mindset shift for leaders and organizations. This was a great read, Sharran
Referencing research on Wall Street analysts to explain leadership performance across industries isn’t insight. It borders on intellectual convenience.
Analysts operate inside hyper-specialized, infrastructure-dense ecosystems with proprietary data, established teams, and institutional advantages.
Translating that into a universal rule for hiring operators or executives in real companies is flimsy at best.
There’s a fundamental difference between leadership insight and leadership theater.
One is earned through decades of operational execution.
The other is packaged, polished, and optimized for social-media virality.
And let’s be honest: if someone’s brilliance collapses the moment the backdrop changes, they were never the catalyst.
They were the beneficiaries of a system someone else built.
Organizations don’t need unicorn mythology.
They need leaders with durable competence backed by emotionally stable owners.
Chasing the charismatic narratives of social media influencers is how companies drift.
Acting like adults with clarity, rigor, and grounded expectations is how they win.