"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways. "
—Writer, H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
What is the divider between equally talented individuals? What will give you insights as to which candidate or employee is going to thrive and succeed or crash and burn?
• Ambition. Ambition measures drive, competitiveness and the discipline to push through the rigors and sacrifices of training to be successful in a competitive environment.
• Ambition is the one trait that separates two equally “talented” individuals.
Ambition is also a main factor when selecting competitive sports hires. Winslow Research’s sports division assesses all MLBA recruits. Over the years, there have been many talented young players that have the natural ability to play well, but have not developed into successful players because they don’t have the ambition – discipline, drive and desire needed to succeed.
To identify those talented (but undisciplined octopuses), make sure you spend time clarifying the vital behaviors for optimal performance in all of the positions you fill. This will ensure you are hiring and developing great-fit teams of people at every level.
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