Talent rules

Sparky Anderson, former manager for the world champion Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds said it best, "The players make the manager. It's never the other way around."

Mike Holmgren didn't forget how to coach when he got to Seattle. In Green Bay he had all-pro talent to execute his plan: Reggie White, Brett Favre, Antonio Freeman, Desmond Howard and Keith Jackson and more.

This isn't only true in sports.

When I was first promoted to creative director, David E. Davis, Jr., legendary automotive journalist and the CD who was responsible for Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet offered me this bit of advice, "Hire the best people, let them know what you expect, then get out of their way."

Vision alone doesn't get the job done. You need talent at all levels to execute flawlessly. And in today's world, talent has never been easier to find and put on your team, whether full time or on a project basis.

The trick is knowing who's right for what project. And that's the key to being a great manager.