What "Linsanity" teaches us about talent searches

Talent abounds, but sometimes we don't know what we are looking for until we are up against it.

That is a theme that Frank Deford, long-time Sports Illustrated contributor, addressed in his weekly sports essay for NPR's Morning Edition. Deford focused on the uplifting story of Jeremy Lin, the newly installed point guard for the New York Knicks. Formerly a pine-rider, Lin - as Deford explains - was installed because the Knicks ran out of options in the wake of the NBA lockout and injuries to (or absences of) star players.

Right now Lin has spawned "Linsanity," a wave of enthusiasm that has swept basketball circles and is now entering the mainstream. But as Deford pointed out, why wasn't Lin playing earlier? Part of the answer is that he did not fit the profile.

First he's Taiwanese-American, the first to play in the NBA. But he also went to Palo Alto High and when Stanford, which was where he hoped to play, passed on him he settled for "second best" - at least basketball wise - Harvard. Lin's gift is that he is a consummate team guy: He can shoot and pass, and he's tough for a 6 foot 3 inch guy facing players much taller and heavier.

Video: Absolute Lin-sanity
Photos: Jeremy Lin

The larger question that Deford raises is how many other Jeremy Lins (in sports, the arts, in business) there are who are not yet getting their chance? Likely a lot of them, and that becomes a challenge for leaders everywhere. How do you find the talent that does not conform to specifics?

One organization that could teach managers about finding, grooming and capitalizing on talent is another sports franchise, the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings recently set the record for most consecutive home wins, 21. It did not occur by accident; it emerged from the assemblage of star players, role players and exceptional coaches, all under the watchful eye of general manager Ken Holland.

For the past 20 years the Wings have reached the NHL playoffs and one of their secrets is an open one: Their recruitment. As a team that does well it drafts last, meaning the high value prospects are often long gone, picked up by lesser talented teams. The Red Wings have long looked to Europe for players, but it's not simply expanding geography - it is athleticism and skill, as well as fit. A question all scouts consider is this: Could I see this player as a Red Wing?

That question is something that those looking to hire for their own companies must consider. Does this individual fit what we are looking for? Aside from talent and skills, can she complement our roster? Or even better how does this recruit enable us to do more, to capitalize on new opportunities that we are exploring now or have yet to explore?

Talent, as the Jeremy Lin story exemplifies, comes in all shapes and sizes. It is simply a matter of being open to change and opportunity in order to discover new possibilities for the individual as well as the organization.

[Stephen Isienyi]

Let us not forget Tom Brady's story and what was said about his abilities during the draft. The San Francisco 49ers' Steve Mariucci and his bosses, while looking for the next Steve Young turned down a sure opportunity to draft Brady simply because he did not fit the profile. Steve Mariucci is still slapping himself silly each time he watches Tom Brady play in a game. He slaps himself doubly silly when Brady wins a game. The big college powerhouse they picked instead in that draft was a colossal failure. He was overwhelmed by the rigors, the rules and the details of pro-football. He could not follow simple directions. The other day, I heard that the poor hapless guy is currently a farmer, while Brady has gone on to win 3 SB titles, led NE to 5 SB games and 6 conference championships, and shattered many standing world records with sheer determination and humility.

One's ability to concentrate on succeeding is what makes a superstar - not the shmoozing and politicking. The latter creates a sense of bloated security in one's admirers. The security that the former creates in admirers is real and reassuring - minus the hubris, of course.

[DerekIrvine]

Jason Corsello recently looked at how to find this information in your employee data, concluding you can't with basic data as it stands today. I suggested in my blog:

I tend to think, however, there isn't enough performance focus on the outcome OR the process. The essence of the challenge is simply not enough data points. I don't need to hash through (again) the failures of the annual performance review as one-time feedback from one point of view.

The question becomes, how do you build the data on your talent so you can find your Jeremey Lins? What's the RSB40 score (a critical basketball stat) for your talent?

You need more data. A strategic employee recognition program can give it to you. When all employees are encouraged to praise their colleagues in very specific and detailed ways, you get far more data points on performance and therefore a much broader picture of your talent on both an individual and aggregate basis.

Do you need your most innovative product designers for a huge new product development push? Simply parse the data to find which product designers - anywhere in your organization - have been recognized the most for innovation. If you structure your program properly for what matters most in your organization, you can turn your recognition data into your own form of "moneyball" for your hidden talent.

The rest of the post is here: http://recognizethisblog.com/2012/02/finding-your-talent-before-you-accidently-let-them-go/

[WriteMoneyInc]

Jeremy Lin helps to prove the power of inner belief and drive. Employers who know how to identify workers who truly "love" what they do and who have an inner drive to excel, can find innovative ways to help those workers polish and hone their craft. That said, I believe true excellence comes from within. It takes more than talent, skill and ability. You have to love what you do and have a drive to achieve.

Denise
http://www.writemoneyinc.com

[lvanderkam]

This is such an important question -- figuring out who can thrive in new circumstances, and trying to battle prejudices about who looks successful. In business, someone isn't going to be a good leader just because he's tall, white, male and speaks with a deep voice.

[weffy]

While this is a very well-written and informative article on the Lin sensation that is yet developing, the author doesn't appear to touch at all on what is elsewhere reported to be the main driver--the "prime mover", if I may use the much-hackneyed phrase--behind Jeremy Lin's performance on the court: His faith in Jesus Christ. I don't see this phenomenon as being predominantly about coaches/managers finding talent that doesn't fit established, narrow parameters that are too often set by ["evil":ref. Dilbert] H.R. functionaries who aren't meaningfully connected with the performance of the one being scouted or hired. While this issue is a serious one indeed, as our national workforce is "graying"--across private, public and civil society sectors, nationally--we have to get more and better people into our organizations if they are going to continue to exist and function the way we want them to function.

But Jeremy Lim will tell anyone that HIS story is all about his relationship with Christ, and how that vital experience energizes his game, makes him the excellent team player that Mr. Baldoni acknowledges, and that more and more people across the nation want to know about. If Jeremy has is way, that is what people will be reporting.

For examples of reportage on this issue see: http://www.worldoncampus.com/2012/02/jeremy_lin_s_sustaining_faith

Weffy in Honolulu!

Aloha to everyone! + Maranatha...it's later than we think!