Most people have trouble defining extraordinary talent, but unfortunately they also often don’t know it 

when they see it. Superbosses do. They recognize that unusually talented people have something that 
others don’t. They’ve got “it”—an unusual set of skills or aptitudes that standard tests or interviews 
don’t pick up. For many superbosses, “it” is hard to describe, but it often manifests as some 
combination of unusual intelligence, creativity, and flexibility. Defining what “it” is for your industry 
and organization will help you better understand the talent you seek to attract and mentor the 
extraordinary people you already have on board. 

Take five minutes to think about what “it” is in the context of your industry or business. What
attributes feel important? Be as specific as you can in conceptualizing “that special something”.
(Ex: Great academics exhibit resiliency and thick skin in the face of failure.) 

For each of the “it” factors, write down how that quality typically manifests itself in employees.
What would you expect to see within the first year for a new hire with these qualities?  
(Ex: Resilient academics respond positively to failure, trying to fix the problem rather than becoming 
overly discouraged. They try and learn from their mistakes and move on.) 

How can you detect these qualities in an interview? Can you frame specific (and potentially 
nontraditional) questions to test for these qualities? Think of the person on your team who
most has “it.” How did his or her special aptitudes come through during that first interview?  
(Ex:  To  detect  resiliency  in an academic, ask about a time they’ve failed. How did they respond? 
Did they learn and grow? How?)