About the Book

SUPERBOSSES
How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent.
By Sydney Finkelstein

Imagine a world where the work you did really mattered. Where the person who you call your boss changed your life by helping you accomplish more than you ever thought possible. Where your own opportunities would multiply in ways you may have been afraid to even dream of.

Read the Introduction to Superbosses.

That’s the world this book is about, the world of superbosses and the incredible yet often disarmingly simple things they do to make all this happen.

What do the world’s best bosses do that others don’t? I’ve spent ten years investigating this question, conducting over 200 interviews and writing three-dozen case studies in one of the most extensive and rigorous research projects of its kind.

I systematically studied business legends and pop culture icons like Lorne Michaels, Ralph Lauren, George Lucas, Larry Ellison, Miles Davis, Julian Robertson, and Alice Waters, I discovered that superbosses differ considerably in their interpersonal styles, but that the ways they identify, motivate, coach and leverage others are remarkably consistent, highly unconventional and unmistakably powerful. Superbosses aren’t like most bosses; they follow a playbook all their own. They are unusually intense and passionate — eating, sleeping, and breathing their businesses and inspiring others to do the same. They look fearlessly in unusual places for talent and interview them in colorful ways. They create impossibly high work standards that push protégées to their limits. They partake in an almost inexplicable form of mentoring, one that occurs spontaneously and with no clear rules. They lavish responsibility on inexperienced protégées, taking risks that seem scary and foolish to outsiders. When the time is right superbosses may even encourage star talent to leave so they can then become part of a strategic network of acolytes in the industry.  And the list goes on.

Read Sydney Finkelstein's Case Study of Ralph Lauren

As the secrets of superbosses came into focus, I realized that I had stumbled upon a veritable holy grail for business managers and professionals. Despite the best efforts of human resource professionals, surveys show that most workers are still unengaged and unhappy at work.

Studies by McKinsey and other organizations reveal that organizations don’t “get” how to develop the strong, self-motivated leaders they need — even though most executives regard talent as absolutely vital to their organization’s survival. Superbosses yielded a fresh set of answers, practices that anyone could borrow to create an inexhaustible pipeline of rising stars. If even some of these practices were widely disseminated, careers could become more meaningful. Professionals could do more good, get more satisfaction out of their work and make their organizations nimbler and more resilient. Workplaces could be transformed from dull, dreary places into powerhouses of innovation. And leaders can leverage talent in new ways to take on competitors and win.

Exploring the characteristic behaviors of the world’s most effective bosses, I upend conventional “best practices” and present a comprehensive new paradigm for developing talent. The book is the first to offer a systematic, empirically based study of what really motivates, inspires and enables others to achieve their full potential. It shows professionals how to be better bosses, mentors, and coaches, so that they can unleash unprecedented creativity, engagement and loyalty in their teams. It also suggests how organizations can structure talent management processes that nurture people instead of squandering their natural intensity and motivation.

The book is filled with insider accounts of some of our era’s most fascinating and innovative personalities. Want to locate the most promising young employees? Ralph Lauren would offer jobs to strangers he met by chance while dining at New York City restaurants. The new hires would turn over his business card in shock, discovering that no other than Ralph Lauren had just interviewed them. Want to encourage creativity and innovation? George Lucas did so by modeling it; as one protégée remembered, he was so inventive that he would “come up with a list of 20 fabulous names for characters you never heard of before in just a few minutes.” Want to inspire and mentor others? Dr. Tommy Frist, Jr., regarded as the godfather of the for-profit hospital, made a point of defying conventional hierarchies and interacting personally with junior employees. “He was such an unusual CEO,” his protégé Paul Batalden said. “You could always get to him. He always had time.”

Superbosses takes readers deep inside the minds and businesses of the world’s most prodigious talent developers. An opening chapter describes the superboss phenomenon and divides superbosses into three personality types: Nurturers, Iconoclasts, and Glorious Bastards. The next seven chapters present the superboss “playbook,” comparing their behaviors to conventional wisdom across the talent life-cycle, from hiring, mentoring, developing, and managing to firing and beyond. The book’s final chapter examines the implications of the superboss phenomenon for diverse audiences. If you’re an ambitious young person and want to find a superboss, how do you do it? If you’re a manager looking to boost performance and help others get better, what can you do right now that superbosses do? If you’re senior leadership at a company, how can you best encourage superbosses and institutionalize what they do?

Many books have been written about talent, applying everything from common sense to psychology to Big Data, but nobody has thought to study those few individuals who, with their strange, idiosyncratic practices, grow human capital better than anyone else. Superbosses offer valuable wisdom that all of us can apply to build meaningful careers for others. And when we help others make their way, the benefits to us are equally great. Put aside for a moment the financial success that our ventures might realize: What could be more fulfilling than to know that we’ve taught others and helped them to achieve their dreams? What could be more satisfying than to have legions of acolytes proclaim to the world that we mattered?

More Praise for Superbosses

"Superbosses is the rare business book that is chock full of new, useful, and often unexpected ideas. After you read Finkelstein's well-crafted gem, you will never go about leading, evaluating, and developing talent in quite the same way.” Robert Sutton, author of Scaling Up Excellence and The No Asshole Rule

“First and foremost this is a book about leadership—how the best recruit, nurture and build teams of strong leaders. Consider it a beacon, written about superbosses who manage talent innovatively and achieve unrivaled success in their field—and written for those who want to excel and play at the top of their game. Sydney Finkelstein has nailed it." General James Amos, USMC (Ret), 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps

"Superbosses is one of the most important, groundbreaking, and actionable leadership books to hit the market in years. Finkelstein has done the hard work of proving, through deep research and analysis, and showing, through colorful stories and examples, that the way the best leaders succeed is by unleashing creativity, innovation, and motivation through their approaches to hiring and management. But here's the best news—these lessons are teachable and directly applicable, whether you are a chief executive, a soccer coach, or an aspiring young professional." James M. Citrin, author, The Career Playbook and leader, CEO Practice, Spencer Stuart

"A smart leader surrounds himself with smart people. Through his book, Superbosses, Finkelstein shows the surprising ways leaders actually find, develop, and grow a team of curious, talented individuals." Millard Drexler, chairman and CEO, J.Crew Group

"Superbosses foster innovation and market domination through the strategic management of talent. Sydney Finkelstein shows you how to elevate your own leadership, superboss style, to create a lasting, impactful, legacy." Marshall Goldsmith, author of Triggers

“If you’ve ever wondered how some mentors manage to spawn so many star protégés, this is a book well worth reading. Through case studies of legendary leaders across a range of industries, Superbosses highlights new strategies for attracting and developing talent.” Adam Grant, Wharton professor and author of Give and Take and Originals

“In Superbosses, Finkelstein identifies the qualities that set great leaders apart. This fascinating look at the importance of encouraging innovation and the ability to motivate is useful not only for leadership in kitchens and restaurants, but in all industries.” Eric Ripert, chef and co-owner, Le Bernardin

“A ground-breaking and absorbing look into not only how to create the world’s best talent, but how and why you might be better off letting them go.” Bill McNabb, Chairman and CEO, The Vanguard Group

“Finkelstein combines rich storytelling with practical advice in this surprising exploration of great talents—and their superbosses.” James M. Kilts, former chairman & CEO, The Gillette Company

“We have long recognised Sydney Finkelstein as one of the world’s leading management thinkers. With Superbosses, he demonstrates why. It is a riveting, inspiring and practical tour de force.” Stuart Crainer and Des Dearlove, founders, Thinkers50

"Superbosses---and they are to be found in every industry and every market—are able to facilitate extraordinary innovation by attracting exceptional people and unleashing their full potential through their companies. This book shows you how to do it and then some.” Eric Spiegel, president and CEO, Siemens Corporation

"Talented management is the key driver of business. Nurturing that talent makes businesses sustainable winners. In Superbosses, Finkelstein reveals how the best of the best succeed at it and offers guidance any manager can follow to be a great leader.” Michael Ward, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Bain Capital

"This book could make some bosses angry—and that's a good thing. Finkelstein’s examination of what actually makes a legendary leader goes against the grain of much standard management "best practice" and offers a whole new way to think about talent.” Kevin Roberts, executive chairman, Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide

"This is a great book that not only identifies the skills of the best leaders across a number of industries, but gives the reader clear, practical guidance on how they can develop and practice the skills of a superboss." Ken C. Hicks, retired chairman and CEO, Foot Locker, Inc.

"Sydney Finkelstein sheds light on an unexplored topic in management with careful research and insightful storytelling.” Akira Uehara, president, Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings Co., Ltd.

“Finkelstein performs a valuable public service in analyzing how corporate leaders can educate and nurture others to be successful. This is required reading for all those executives interested not only in their own performance, but in developing and promoting superstar talent in their businesses.” Kenneth Feinberg, director, 9/11 victim compensation fund 

"A fascinating study of extraordinary leaders we all know of but few have access to. Sydney Finkelstein's surprising findings offer insight into how great talent is developed and nurtured." Ed Haldeman, former CEO, Freddie Mac and Putnam Investments

“Sometimes great wisdom comes in simple truths, how a leader uniquely creates, manages and activates his "personal" network matters. For leaders, entrepreneurs, and all those people who want to get there, Superbosses is an inspiring and engaging must-read.” Blair B. LaCorte, executive vice president, Business Rockstars Network

“Finally an answer to the millennial leadership puzzle at work. Simply break all the rules about what you thought you knew regarding identifying their potential and unleashing their talent to impact the broader team! Finkelstein has created a compelling roadmap for great leadership.” Jim Weber, chairman and CEO, Brooks Running

"Superbosses is not a career book—yet it will entirely transform the way you think about your career and that of everyone around you. With riveting stories and deep insight into how standout successes in a number of fields treat talent, Finkelstein offers a whole new framework to turbocharge your career.” Tom McInerney, president and CEO, Genworth Financial

"How better to learn about talent than to study the bosses who developed the most talent in their industries? In the process, Sydney Finkelstein discovered the remarkable similarities across a wide variety of industries in the actions these bosses take to produce talent. The result is a playbook that any and all business leaders can follow to identify, inspire and develop talent in a way that brings the best out of people. It's an inspirational reminder that great business leaders don't just produce results, they create an environment focused on a compelling vision where great people believe they can achieve the impossible—and they do!" Sherri C. Oberg, co-founder and former CEO of Acusphere, Inc.

“Finkelstein offers tremendous insight into an unexplored area of management with his extensive study of superbosses. A truly important read.” Philip Hanlon, President, Dartmouth College

"Superbosses offers all managers—no matter where you are in an organization—a blueprint for success. It's always about people, and Finkelstein's original examples, stories, and insights will stick with you long after you put this path breaking book down.” Jeremy Reitman, CEO, Reitmans

"Most of us have worked for good bosses at some point in our career. Most of us have also admired from afar great bosses in industry. And, most of us aspire to be great bosses. Superbosses adroitly articulates through examples from multiple industries and endeavors the attributes that make for great bosses that create winning teams. It will change the way you think about talent—how you hire, foster innovation, and even view attrition. An enlightening, and often surprising, look at the real well of success for any industry.” Charles L. Harrington, chairman and CEO, Parsons Corp.

"We always remember that one boss who made a difference in our lives by helping us accomplish more than we ever thought possible. Superbosses explains how each of us can become that boss.” Greg Maffei, president & CEO, Liberty Media Corporation

“Superbosses is a concrete study of the mindsets, behaviors and habits defining outstanding leadership practices. Great leaders inspire the extraordinary from people and create unforgettable environments. A must-read for leaders who want to accelerate growth, engagement and purpose in others.” Bruno Vinciguerra, former chief operating officer, Sotheby’s

"Distilling more than a decade’s research and probing across dozens of sectors, America’s preeminent leadership scholar, Sydney Finkelstein, proves that the ability to uncover and nurture talent matters far more than the mastery of metrics. Superbosses are transformational for more than their companies, teams or non-profits: they instill in their protégés techniques that often revolutionize whole industries. Whether you run a company or dream of doing so, Superbosses will change the way you think about the talent around you—and your own." C. Richard Allen, CEO, Snagfilms, Inc.