Officials at Columbia's medical school, however, seemed to value his "competence in two cultures, " science and literature, he says.

WSJ: When Success Follows the College Rejection Letter

In the early 1900s, Henry Ford revolutionized the manufacturing process and created enormous value by mastering this competence.

FORBES: A New Era -- the Era of the Customer

Brayman and his team, all of whom previously worked at Sentinel, focus exclusively on five sectors--industrials, consumer, health care, technology and financial--where they have special competence and feel they can add value.

FORBES: Magazine Article

In assessing the value of a senior health-service manager or council chief, for example, the line between core competence and bonus-worthy brilliance might be hard to define.

ECONOMIST: Public-sector pay