Tipping Sacred Cows: Kick the Bad Work Habits that Masquerade as Virtues

Chapter 8

Backstage Onstage Preparation

Ajay, an analyst at a top investment bank, wowed clients with structured, reasoned thinking and elegant financial models. Eager to gain experience and solve novel problems, he was first to volunteer for projects and often voiced his desire to be challenged. Ajay's impressive work ethic made him a model employee and even attracted attention from the top. To honor Ajay's performance, his manager rewarded him with an unusually important assignment: Ajay would lead a pitch to a CEO in the tech industry who sought an investment bank to advise on the acquisition of a promising start-up. A disruptive entrant into the music industry, the start-up targeted for acquisition had little history of revenue and few comparable ...