Exec Development is a Different Game

The author realized some benefits to his boss' approach to training. He would hire capable people and then throw them at things. If they didn't work, he would let them go.

It's common for managers to think employees should be trained by someone else, perhaps a training specialist. The author, on the other hand, thinks that managers should handle this task. Managers' output is the output of their organization, no more, no less. Increasing a manager's productivity means making his team do more. Training is one of the m... See more

Diller's IAC acquired, grew, and spun off multiple subsidiaries in the past two decades, including Match Group, Expedia, and Vimeo. Many are known for creating influential executives, many of whom become industry leaders. A number of these leaders include Michael Eisner (Disney), Dara Khosrowshahi (Uber), Dawn Steel (Columbia Pictures), Jeffrey Kat... See more

If you want leaders, you might want to throw high-potential people into the water first. Executive development is probably a different game than individual contributor training. Ben Horowitz's The Hard Thing About Hard Things has a chapter called 'Why Startups Should Train Their People,' in which he makes the same point. According to Horowitz, the ... See more