It isn't about the people (and I'm in the people business)

This month, I launched Sagan Passport - the “Costco for Global Talent”.

If you want to learn about being a member, I’m personally taking every prospective new member interview. -Book a call on the site. I want to make sure our early members are cool.

I’ve been blown away by the quantity and quality of members.

CEOs, COOs, Franchisors, 1000+ door property managers, Non-ferrous foundry operators, arborists, small bookkeepers, smart resellers… it’s run the gamut!

Greetings Earthlings!

I have a confession.

I run a global talent company, and I think talent isn’t nearly as important as people think it is.

To be clear, I am all about top global talent (hell, that is what Sagan Passport membership is largely about!).

…..BUT

I can tell you that my greatest global talent successes have all been people I've "developed" into my way of doing business.

Sure - technical skills, particular language abilities or specific backgrounds can sometimes be required.

But I spend most of my time thinking about how to take "high potential people" - and turn them into all stars.

Let me be more specific.

A lot of people request a:

“Self-directed executive assistant”

in order to

“help with email, projects, and staying organized”.

Classic thinking is as follows:

Get someone with experience as an Executive Assistant, maybe they’ve been an EA for the head of a multinational for 15 years.

If you go to a global talent headhunter, that is the kind of person they often present to you.

They are following the old “No one got fired for hiring IBM” playbook.

“Pay me my fee, I got you an experienced executive assistant. “

BUT, here is my experience.

A “career executive assistant” cannot keep up with me!

They usually end up whimpering in a corner after a few weeks.

I want a hard charger, who I can tell:

"Look, you'll be an assistant for 6ish months, then I'll promote you, or you'll get fired. Learn from me, be energetic, make a bunch of mistakes, but move quickly and for the love of god keep up".

Bright eyed, bushy tailed, eager for a shot.

I think it is how Hollywood Agents feel about their assistants - it's up or out, not a career.

I don't care whether or not they "Know Zapier"!

They can watch three days of Youtube and can be pretty good at it… if they've got the right attitude, and some intellectual horsepower.

I've always done well when I've found high potential people, supported them with ongoing training, and then cut them loose!

• High Agency

• High Intelligence

• Hungry

• Fast Paced

That’s what I hire for.

Now, why am I more eager to do this globally than I am locally?

Because I can help our global talent build a LONG career within our companies.

That is much harder to do with a young MBA, in the size of companies I own.

I struggle to give them a rewarding career progression.

But I can absolutely do it with our hard charging, ambitious global talent - they will gladly & energetically take the training and mentorship, and THRIVE.

Invest in ongoing training and mentorship…. and transform hungry, fast-paced learners into rock stars.

Yallah Habibi,

Jon

Passage of the Week

Watch Yourself Go By

by Strickland W. Gillilan

JUST STAND ASIDE and watch yourself go by;
Think of yourself as " he " instead of " I. "
Note, closely as in other men you note,
The bag-kneed trousers and the seedy coat.
Pick flaws; find fault; forget the man is you,
And strive to make your estimate ring true.
Confront yourself and look you in the eye —
Just stand aside and watch yourself go by.

Interpret all your motives just as though
You looked on one whose aims you did not know.
Let undisguised contempt surge through you when
You see you shirk, O commonest of men!
Despise your cowardice; condemn whate'er
You note of falseness in you anywhere.
Defend not one defect that shames your eye —
Just stand aside and watch yourself go by.

And then, with eyes unveiled to what you loathe,
To sins that with sweet charity you'd clothe,
Back to your self-walled tenement you'll go
With tolerance for all who dwell below.
The faults of others then will dwarf and shrink,
Love's chain grow stronger by one mighty link,
When you, with " he " as substitute for " I, "
Have stood aside and watched yourself go by.