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α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
This paper addresses a critical gap in talent management research, i.e. the question of what determines high performance, by highlighting the importance of personality traits for the performance of talents who are trained within the strong situation of a pivotal talent pool – – the talent pool, of a German Bundesliga club. The findings illustrate the ubiquitous high level of certain personality traits among pivotal talents, their limited variance inter talent development phases as well as their significant impact on talent performance. As a complement to talents’ job-specific skill level, the personality facet of self-confidence is a consistent driver of overall performance, with resilience and job-specific creativity being essential in order to perform above peer-group level.