Based on years of research, Sydney Finkelstein, professor at Tuck
School of Business at Dartmouth and author of Why Smart Executives
Fail, looks at how a select few visionaries develop the most successful
talent in every industry
After meeting chef Alice Waters at her legendary restaurant, Chez
Panisse, Sydney Finkelstein got to thinking about the dozens of chefs
who had come from her establishment to open their own restaurants and
gain notoriety as some of the country's most creative culinary figures.
Waters, he found, had spawned a family tree of geniuses. Could this
pattern exist in other industries?
After years of research, Finkelstein found that similarly powerful
mentors did indeed exist across every industry from finance to
entertainment to fashion and the arts, and that they created a network
of superstars in their community, using techniques that are varied and
often counterintuitive.
Finkelstein profiles luminaries such as Waters, Lorne Michaels, Miles
Davis, Ralph Lauren, Larry Ellison, and Bonnie Fuller.
Drawing on fascinating first person accounts and surprising best
practices, Finkelstein explores a phenomenon that has never been
researched before, and explains how any leader can create a powerful
network and nurture extraordinary talent.
