Plato believed that men are divided into three classes: gold, silver and bronze. Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, argued that "the vital few" account for most progress. Such sentiments are taboo today in public life. Politicians talk of a "leadership class" or "the vital few" at their peril. Schools abhor picking winners. Universities welcome the masses: more people now teach at British ones than attended them in the 1950s. In the private sector things could hardly be more different. The world's best companies struggle relentlessly to find and keep the vital few. They offer them fat pay packets, extra training, powerful mentors and more challenging assignments. If anything, businesses are becoming more obsessed with ability.
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