There is nothing that will change your business faster than getting a superstar to work for you. A superstar is someone who comes with his own high-powered battery pack fueled by nothing more than the desire to be your best performer.

Finding them takes work. Lots of work. You have to sift through a hundred wannabes to find a true superstar.

Hiring them is easy if you show them that you recognize their potential. Give them base compensation that is slightly better than industry standard and performance compensation that can make them rich. The most important thing a superstar wants in his job is the authority and tools to accomplish his goals.

Make sure, in hiring him, that he has what he needs.

Managing the superstar takes skill and patience. Superstars are like great thoroughbreds. They need to be well fed, shod, and cared for to be at their best. But they also need a lot of exercise and a good, lightweight jockey to steer them now and then.

And finally this: When your thoroughbred fails to win the race, change the jockey… don’t kill the horse.