Million Dollar Careers: Draft Day is a Microcosm of the Business World

The NFL draft is the greatest talent-hunting mission on display, and it’s a master class in excellence, business, recruiting, and people development. Millions of kids play high school football. In college that number precipitously drops to 96,000 and at the professional level that drops further to 1,600. That exponential leap in caliber raises the game, and only the exceptional can make it. What parallels can we draw in the business world? What makes the superstars so special? In this episode, we talk about why The Draft is such a great learning tool for leaders and employees alike. Millions of kids play high school football. In college, that number precipitously drops to 96,000. In the NFL, it drops to 1,600. The caliber is an exponential leap . -Craig Picken Things You’ll Learn In This Episode - Drafting on potential vs. drafting on experience: How do we determine the kind of player that will fit our teams well? - The worst draft picks: There’s no force as disruptive as an un-coachable player. How do we avoid them? - It all comes down to “do you your job”: Talent alone doesn’t make a great player. Why is EQ so important? - Put more plays in your playbook: You never know what’s out there that’s going to kill you unless you’re looking out for it. How do you keep your head on a swivel? Learn More About Your Host: Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, Craig is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well-known aircraft OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers. Since 2009 Craig has personally concluded more than 150 executive searches in a variety of disciplines. As the only executive recruiter who has flown airplanes, sold airplanes, AND run a business, Craig is uniquely positioned to build deep, lasting relationships with both executives and the boards and stakeholders they serve. This allows him to use a detailed, disciplined process that does more than pair the ideal candidate with the perfect opportunity and hit the business goals of the companies he serves.