Super Bosses:How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent

By Lambert Rusoke

As the football in Russia took a rest, with the remaining four semifinalists looking to finish the job, I delved into the pages of , Sydney Finkelstein,with his Super Bosses;How exceptional leaders master the flow of talent.

In here, Finkelstein asserts that,Superbosses, by definition, are better  managers because they unleash unprecedented creativity, engagement, and accomplishment in their teams, generating and regenerating great talent. From his research ,Super bosses  possess extreme confidence, even fearlessness, when it comes to furthering their agendas and ideas. They are all extremely competitive.

They are visionaries. They manifest integrity: strict adherence to a core vision or sense of self. And, finally, they are authentic.

Finkelstein divides Superbosses into three groups.
a)The “Iconoclasts” are so wholly fixated on their vision that they are able to teach in an intuitive, organic way, as a natural outgrowth of their passion and in service to it, rather than consciously or methodically.

Didier Deschamp(2ndR)and Thierry Henry(Extreme Right)shall reminisce their glory days at different camps.

b)Then there are the “Glorious Bastards,” superbosses less attuned to developing others than they are to winning, no matter what. They understand that in order to win, they need the best people and the best teams. They may be egoists, they may want fame and glory, but they perceive the success of those around them as the pathway to that glory. As a result, they teach people how to win, inspire them with examples of what winning feels like, and push them to ever higher levels of performance.

c)Finally, there is the benevolent “Nurturer” superboss. They are constantly present to guide and teach their protégés, and they actively engage with employees to help them reach great heights. Intuitively, one would think that the Nurturers would be the most successful, but Finkelstein disputes this thought. His research indicates that all three types of super bosses are extraordinary at spawning talent, and that’s ultimately what counts.
Fast forward and back to Russia,I have limited my engagements in predicting the winners for this world cup.Its simply because, the Four teams remaining are managed by Four Great Super Bosses,who have in their own right ,given to the world this great talent on show, that keep us glued to the Television.Let me do a simple recap here:

 Zlatko Dalić –Croatia
He has managed to assemble a quiet yet talented team to great effect. Combining both grit and technical ability, the Croats have won many neutral hearts by their performances.Dalic,himself a  former footballer who played as a midfielder, has managed to shred off the pressure of playing under the shadow of golden generation of 1998.Having worked with many of these boys at the U-21 level, he surely knows how to bring the best out of them.

Roberto Martínez Montoliu –Belgium.

His Swansea City ,Wigan and Everton days are very fresh to premier league followers.Handling a Belguim squad with multi talented individuals is no mean feat yet challenging. But having French legend Thierry Henry by his side is a winning stroke. The later has won it all on the pitch ,and his mixing with the boys ,gives them a much needed inspiration to playing a s a team.And against Japan,trailing with two goals,the Introduction of tall players like Fellaini,was something of a gem who knows his team very well.

Gareth Southgate-England
Its coming home.Or ,is it?Whatever happens,Southate has proven many a number wrong ,in making the Three Lions a team to contend with.He has the youngest squad in Russia.And the lads are hungry than the previous talented English squads.Key decisions in sorting out his defensive line and having the best goal getter in the right shape,have made the ex-Middleborough defender a Super Boss. Sir Gareth Southgate in waiting.

Didier Deschamps-France
He captained the French side to world cup victory two decades ago.And he knows all about winning. He played with the best French player of his generation in Zinedine Zidane,and he knew how to work around such skillful yet temperate personalities. Paul Pogba is in safe hands.And certainly he has come to know that a  team isn’t about an individual but the full 23 on card.All that Deschamps has to do is whisper to his lads,’I have won this thing before.You guys can can do it”.


This book is  a fun read, and you will probably find at least two or three things that you can do to inspire talent to reach greater heights.

lambertrusoke@gmail.com