Cooking Talent Versus Kitchen Karma

Travelling between meetings I heard a restaurateur of renown answer her most commonly faced question.

Ruth Rogers frequently gets asked “what makes a great chef?”.

“It’s not just talent to cook, but ability to work with others, teach and listen to and take criticism.”

Quite an answer.

A reinforcement of the well-known preaching that raw ability alone is never enough.

In the context of my blog here, in the Sales arena for those with overall leadership ambitions, this kind of experience is invaluable.

I have met so many brilliant salespeople. Head and shoulders above the rest in terms of percentage over quota. Yet mystified when passed over for a senior managerial role that they consider should be theirs.

Resentment builds to the point that I’ve even seen incredible, vengeful corporate subterfuge of astounding ship-jumping scale.

Reasons behind this are manifold.  Let’s take just two. There is acknowledgment that the worst sales figures emerge after you blindly promote your highest performing salesperson. And there is the belief that to be number one individual seller, you’re usually the maverick rule breaking isolated silo that cannot possibly adapt to a supervisory world of team openness, sharing transparency and constant reporting. 

These cut to the core of why I blog. For it does not have to be this way.

If you are hoping to ascend the greasy pole where you presently reside, then this wisdom can shape your preparation.

In true “solution” style, knowing what the decision makers seek upfront is an obvious winner.

Where vagueness may reign, you can evoke this Michelin Star ethos. Pursue a record in and gather evidence for each of the other three pillars and reach your deserved next course.