Hacking Leadership: The 11 Gaps Every Business Needs to Close and the Secrets to Closing Them Quickly

Chapter 6

Hacking the Talent Gap

Leaders don’t put people in boxes; it’s their obligation to free them from boxes. True leadership is about helping people reach places they didn’t know they could go.

It is one thing to be able to recruit talent, something altogether different to properly deploy talent, and quite another thing to have your talent play nicely in collaboration with one another. It is the responsibility of leadership to set the tone with a great talent strategy. Leaders who don’t understand how to hack the talent gaps in their organization will find themselves at a continuous competitive disadvantage.

Hacking the Trust Gap

I can’t think of a better way to begin a discussion on talent than to address the topic of trust. All the talent in the world won’t overcome a lack of trust and loyalty. Over the years I’ve heard the following statement on more than a few occasions: “I don’t have to trust them, I just have to work with them.” My question is this; why would you want to work with someone you cannot trust?

I never cease to be amazed at the great number of leaders who believe they can operate effectively in the absence of trust. Let me make this as clear as I can—you cannot build a culture of leadership where trust is not valued, respected, and required.

My advice on trust is rather simple—if you have people on your team you don’t trust, find a way to develop trust or replace them—there is no other prudent option. Trust is far too vital to the health of an organization ...