Marina Belozerskaya writes about the rise of William Randolph Hearst in The Medici giraffe.
"Not content to rise to the top of the city's dailies, Will decided to break into the lucrative Sunday editions as well. In a brash gesture typical of him, instead of building up his staff piece by piece, he lured over Joseph Pulitzer's brilliant editor, Morrill Goddard, who had made the New York Word's Sunday paper prosper. And when Goddard hesitated, worried about running Hearst's paper without his old staff, Will brought (or bought) them as well by offering them much bigger salaries and greater freedom to exercise their abilities, as long as they increased his circulation."
Hearst grew his team with money and freedom. Many people can be lured away by a higher salary, commission or bonuses. What is often underestimated is granting people the freedom to do their best work.
Do members of your team have the opportunity to create something amazing?