7. Talent Goes on Offense

Forces in Play: Like high-value free agents, Q-Talent can and will articulate its worth. Companies have the burden of putting up or losing out.

In 1980, the oil industry drove a major portion of the U.S. economy and was a cornerstone for the emerging global business environment. As powerful and enormous as the industry was, however, many of its companies faced an Achilles heel: a talent shortage of quality, proven geologists—the people who, using technology, experience, wisdom, and a certain amount of chutzpah, made the recommendations about where to “punch the hole.” Investors allocated millions of dollars and gained and lost fortunes based on the expertise of this industry-specific Q-Talent.