Shorting Talent

I've long held that talent is one of the more important aspects -- indeed, assets -- of any organization. It might even be the most important quality of a company. With a team of talented people -- smartly skilled colleagues -- you can accomplish more than what might be supported by available resources otherwise.

Not so, says Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and Blink.

In a new ChangeThis manifesto entitled The Talent Myth, Gladwell asks whether smart people are overrated. "What IQ doesn't pick up is effectiveness at common-sense sorts of things, especially working with people," he writes.

In the October issue, Keith Hammonds suggests that balance is bunk. Might talent be bunk, as well?