Hire Sparky Blank Slates Over Credentialed Veterans

“Garth looked twelve, and Kevin looked even younger. I’m naturally disposed to hiring people who don’t necessarily qualify or have lots of prior experience; it comes from my own history. I like to give people “too much” responsibility because I took on “too much” when I was at ABC in my early twenties. I liked my process of drowning until I could figure out where the current was moving.”

“I much prefer hiring people who are relatively blank slates, but who have sparks of energy and smarts. And some edge. If you do that consistently enough, which we did at Paramount and at Fox, you end up with a very strong group once they’ve had a few years to marinate. Maybe it’s a simplistic formula, but it works: Give them responsibilities before they are considered ready. Drop them in the deep end and see who struggles and who survives. Keep promoting those who survive.”