Why do you do what you do all day everyday? What is it that gets your motor running everyday as your alarm goes off and the day gets underway? I’m incredibly blessed to be living out the calling that God has placed on my life as a part of the family at North Cobb Christian School. There are a variety of things that I absolutely LOVE about my job…serving teachers and students, investing in families, and building up people who will impact the world for Christ. The main area where I have the opportunity to impact eternity is through the people that we hire to pour into the hearts and minds of our students. Hiring is one area that continually drives me to my knees year in and year out. I pray and hope that will never change. I never want to take this area lightly.
I was so grateful to receive an email a few weeks ago inviting me to be a part of the launch team for Mark Miller‘s latest book, Talent Magnet. I’ve enjoyed reading several things that Miller has written over the years. I blogged about The Heart of Leadership here in October of 2013. Miller challenges me to ask the right questions. Talent Magnet is a fable about a business leader and his network as well as his son and his friends that desire to make a real impact. Weaving together their goals for spending their lives well, they come up with a formula to attract Top Talent with the understanding that people want: A Better Boss. A Bigger Vision. A Brighter Future.
This book is an EXCELLENT resource for anyone who hires or leads people in any capacity. I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below…
- Increase the caliber of your players and you increase your chances of winning. p. 1
- What attracts and keeps Top Talent is different than what attracts and keeps typical talent. p. 2
- What is our people strategy? Who is our target employee? How would you describe him or her? p. 15
- What’s a Talent Magnet? A place so attractive, Top Talent will be standing in line to work here. p. 16
- Why Top Talent?
- Creates competitive advantage.
- Is more agile.
- Produces better results.
- Responds well to complexity.
- More growth-oriented.
- Represents our brand well.
- Accelerates growth.
- Creates our future.
- Creates energy.
- Attracts more Top Talent. p. 25
- Top Talent is different. I’m convinced it will take something different to attract them. p. 27
- Focused leadership energy creates impact. p. 40
- How would working here help me prepare for my future? p. 46
- Our goal is to help you learn skills that will serve you the rest of your life. p. 57
- If we get the people part right, everything else is much easier. p. 58
- When we provide the things most valued by Top Talent, we dramatically increase the likelihood they will want to work for our organization. p. 75
- What attracts Top Talent? Better Boss. (Leadership) Brighter Future. (Personal Growth) Bigger Vision. (Mission, Values, and Impact on Society) p. 77
- The attractors of Top Talent are not age-bound. p. 84
- We not only have to create the culture we’re describing—we have to sustain it. p. 85
- It’s hard to pull one over on our leaders. They are grounded in the realities of the business. p. 91
- A Better Boss: demonstrates care, stays engaged, and leads well. p. 92
- How much time are you personally investing in your top priority? p. 96
- Talent belongs to the organization, not the department. p. 102
- A Brighter Future: champions growth, provides challenges, and promotes opportunities. p. 104
- My primary role is to serve these people—help them, and the business, be successful. p. 107
- Make no mistake: helping people grow and teaching them how to add value to others is extremely good for business. p. 111
- Creating alignment is one of the most important things leaders do. p. 120
- Top performers want to make a difference in the world. p. 121
- A Bigger Vision: ensures alignment, fosters connection, and celebrates impact. p. 123
- TM=B3A p. 126
- Many looking for work will be indifferent to our message, but Top Talent will resonate deeply with our story. p. 134
- More than vision, strategy, creativity, marketing, finance, or even technology, it is ultimately people who determine our success. p. 140
- Never pass on Top Talent. p. 146
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”