Success in Business can Actually be a Poor Indicator of Skill

From a recent article in Time entitled We Should Follow Those Who Finish Second, Not First comes an interesting reminder about all of the fad following that organizations from Education to NGOs, Government to Business, continually attempt.

The success story is a staple of business books and magazines: the faces of top investors and executives smile at us from the covers, and inside their words invite us to emulate their actions. But research suggests we should be cautious in modeling ourselves after extraordinary performers or adopting their much-praised methods; these paragons may offer less wisdom than they promise. Greater value can be found, studies show, in less sexy but more substantial theories, and in the practices of those who are second best in the field.