A Players, Why You Need Them!

If you want to be successful in business, there is no underestimating how important it is to surround yourself with the best and most talented people. The goal is always to have "A" players in every seat. While a "B" player may slip in on occasion, you must replace them with another new "A" player. Like the ocean, it is a self-cleansing process that took me decades to figure out, and I am thankful I did.

Here are five behaviors I have found to exist in "A" players:

Check In

Never pests, "A" players drop in and ask if they are on the right track with you and confirm that they are working on those things that you feel are important. They always say, "Is there something else I can help you with?" When I hear this, I get misty-eyed as it is such a pleasure to have someone legitimately wanting to help me meet my goals. The best ones know - a rising tide lifts all boats - and are happy to ensure you both are on the right track. 

Create Their Path

"A" players grab work and do it. They don't care what others think. Constantly looking to fix broken processes, or to implement new ones, these pro's spend time trying to figure out the cause of issues.  Next, they change course to correct them before moving on to the next issue. They choose to spend their valuable time on the resolution to ensure the issue isn't repeated. This requires no direction from you which is beautiful. "A" players feel it is just a matter of course as they look to improve the business in an almost selfless way. The path they create is truly their own but also stays in alignment with your strategy and direction.

Understand The Strategy

Your "A" players likely provided valuable input into the crafting of your strategy (if not, that's a miss on your part, especially since they will have the most impact on delivering it). Therefore, they understand it and will give valuable feedback about what is working, what is not and what improvements need to be implemented. They read continuously and have both an intellectual and practical thirst for knowledge. They immediately lift your intelligence quotient.

Try, Fail, Adjust And Try Again

I once heard an "A" player say he wanted to "fail fast." When I asked him why he said, "So I can move on to success." Realizing that failure is part of success is hard for many to understand. The concept of a ‘loss leader’ as part of your career doesn't appear to be logical thinking. We go to the best schools to learn then head to the business almost expecting success to be waiting like some entitlement. I see the business world littered with people with the best education money can buy, but they never learned to fail and are bouncing from opportunity to opportunity without experiencing what success feels like.

For me, I went to an ok school and did ok. Nothing special and I had no expectation that I would ever amount to much in my career. What I did do were two things. I have a natural curiosity to try new things which let me fail fast. I also have associated with a very powerful and influential network of professionals who help me assess and choose what to work on next.

Teach

Now, here is perhaps the best reason to have an all-star roster of "A" players on your team. You get time to think. Set yourself free! If you are a senior leader, time is both your enemy and most precious resource.

When you have able managers of high character running businesses about which they are passionate, you can have a dozen or more reporting to you and still have time for an afternoon nap. ~Warren Buffett

You don't have time to be on some crash course of continuous self-improvement. But you can learn from the team of "A" players who you lead. Lead them well and they will teach you all you need to know. Over time, you will be well on your way to success.

My best, Chris