During my first decade working in the Buenos Aires office of Egon Zehnder in the late 1990s, our Argentine executive search practice soared, recording the highest per capita financial performance in the whole firm for five consecutive years. But we all know what happened in 2001. By the end of the year, Argentina’s economy had collapsed. It was the largest sovereign debt default in world history, and GDP fell by some 30% coupled with a 300% currency devaluation. Over 12 days, five different presidents took control of the country. One bank lost more money in a few weeks than it had accumulated over the previous century. There were companies with losses larger than their sales, and one month the number of new cars sold in the country was lower than the number of cars stolen! As you can imagine, that was not an easy time for me. No one in their right mind was looking to hire a search consultant.
Creating a Culture of Unconditional Love
Lessons for any firm that wants to hire the best talent and pull them together into strong and lasting teams.
January 08, 2014
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Coaching. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Learn how to help your employees become the best they can be.