Jack Welch attributes the unprecedented success GE experienced under his 20 years of leadership to their relentless pursuit and commitment to hiring, developing, and retaining Rainmakers. To make and maintain room for them ongoing in their businesses, GE embraced the concept of Topgrading.
Topgrading is culling / eliminating the bottom 10% of their rankings annually and replacing them with those they evaluated to be Rainmakers in their area of expertise. The impact and result over 20 years is extraordinary: $450 BILLION increase in market cap establishing him as the most admired business leader in the world and some would argue in all of corporate history. Now that’s a sure enough Rainmaker!