Would you hire a superstar or a rock star?

In her book Radical Candor, Kim Scott says you need both. She explains that rock stars are solid as a rock, they love their work and they have found their groove, while superstars are more ambitious and always looking for the next opportunity.

That resonates with Simon Sinek, who points out that most companies reward people on their ability to reach the goal, without paying enough attention to how they got there.

One person can create a very toxic environment, with team morale swinging up and down and people leaving often, but at the right time, on the right day, hits the goal and receives a bonus.

Another person builds a team, morale stays good, performance is steady, and they miss the target at the end of the year, so they get nothing.

We should not measure performance only on whether people reach a goal, but also on how they reach it, or do not.

That is why, in the long run, rock stars are probably the better bet. Unless you can hire David Bowie, in which case you get both.

But business usually focuses on the short term win.