The 3 Reasons Most Businesses Don’t Have A Player Teams—and What to Do About It

Almost every CEO I speak with admits they want more performance and strategic thinking from their teams. Unfortunately, too many have bought into the misguided belief that having a few A Players driving the business is the exception, while having a majority of B Players is the rule. Eliminating C Players is a given, but tolerating a high percentage of B Players is the hidden killer of businesses—like hypertension. You’re effectively paying A Player salaries and getting only a fraction of the performance.

To effectively Scale Up, you need A Players (top-performing People) to drive Strategy and Execution, which ultimately fuel Cash. A Players bring an absolute conviction to their work and responsibilities. Key traits of these perfect employees include dedication, integrity, strong communication skills, and a commitment to continuous learning. Elite businesses become experts at finding A Players, building teams comprised of 90% or more of them.

In today’s fast-paced business landscape, companies are constantly seeking ways to gain a competitive edge. A critical part of that is to identify, attract, and retain top talent—the A Players in your industry. These individuals possess a unique combination of skills and attributes that set them apart from their peers. In this article, we will explore the characteristics of A Players and how to bring more of them into your organization.

An A Player is an individual who consistently demonstrates exceptional performance, skills, and dedication to their work. They are the top performers in their field, and their contributions have a significant impact on the organization’s success. A Players possess a unique combination of natural talent, key traits, and leadership qualities that enable them to excel in their roles. They are self-motivated, proactive, and results-driven, with a strong work ethic and a passion for their craft.

Hiring A Players can have a significant impact on your organization’s performance and success. They bring a level of expertise, innovation, and creativity that can help drive business growth and improvement. A Players are also more likely to inspire and attract other top performers, creating a positive ripple effect throughout the organization. Furthermore, A Players are often more efficient and productive, requiring less supervision and management, which can lead to cost savings and improved resource allocation.

Clearly, these are the team members we all need, but many CEOs struggle to attract and retain enough of them. Let’s take a look at the three main obstacles that might be keeping your company from recruiting A Players, and how to succeed in overcoming them.

Somewhere along the way, most businesses are conditioned to believe that A Players are a rarity and B Players make up the majority of the talent in the workforce. This mindset likely stems from our school days, where B’s were deemed acceptable, A’s were considered excellent, and C’s were still a passing grade. Even today, I often encounter CEOs with a paternalistic mindset, believing employees are entitled to a job and that businesses are obliged to keep them employed.

The fact is, we don’t tolerate second-string airline pilots or physicians when our lives are on the line. Your business is just as important to you and the A Players who entrust their growth to you. A Players not only identify opportunities within a business but also seek ways to correct and enhance them, showcasing their commitment to continuous improvement and growth in the workplace.

Steve Jobs emphasized the importance of hiring A Players to foster a high-performing team, suggesting that top talent attracts other top talent, which ultimately leads to greater success within an organization.

This necessitates a shift in belief that for every so-so employee you currently have, there is an A Player out there willing to work for the same or similar money.

Most businesses tolerate mediocrity from their B and C Players due to the fear that “the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.” Compounding this issue is the fact that the majority of managers are ineffective coaches. (My apologies for having to break that news to you!) They often lack a deep understanding of the roles their teams should be performing, and as a result, they fail to drive higher performance. A Players, on the other hand, arouse enthusiasm by uplifting and motivating their peers through appreciation and encouragement.

There’s a widespread misconception in business that we hire people who already know how to do the job. In reality, you hire people to execute your playbooks, systems, and processes—and then coach them to meet your standards. An A Player is a dedicated team member who positively impacts team dynamics through their enthusiasm, commitment, and ability to foster open communication. Mediocrity persists because less than 10% of managers are effective coaches. Most lack the courage to address underperformance, and the technical and coaching skills to improve it.

Many leaders erroneously celebrate B Players as the “Steady Eddies” of their organization. But just like fielding a sports team with B Players, there is a not-so-hidden opportunity cost in terms of missed goals and lost championship seasons. Be wary of B Players you are paying A Player money to without getting the performance of an A. If you need a reminder of what B Player performance looks like, just think of every slipped deadline, missed quota, or past coaching topic you’ve had to repeat. These misses become cumulative body blows to the financial health of your organization that most average businesses ignore. That’s why they are average! You deserve better.

On the other hand, C Players can negatively impact team performance and morale. These individuals often lack the skills, initiative, and dedication required to excel in their roles, and may even hinder the progress of their colleagues. C Players often create a toxic work environment, leading to decreased productivity, increased turnover, and a negative impact on the organization’s reputation. It is essential for organizations to identify and address C Player performance issues promptly, providing support and resources to help them improve or making tough decisions to let them go.

Traditional HR often fails businesses by focusing on everything except what truly matters: recruiting, developing, and retaining top A Player talent. Need proof? Ask your HR team to recruit an A Player and guarantee their success—or owe you $1,000 if they don’t pan out after 6 months. Most won’t take that bet! Or ask when they last designed a course to develop talent, coached an employee to better performance, or measured the percentage of A Players on your team. When was the last time they created a clear plan to elevate non-A Players to A-level performance? Chances are, these critical actions aren’t even on their radar.

The point is the traditional HR function is doing everything but the critical job of finding and growing A Players, who possess the tacit knowledge necessary to excel in complex situations and contribute innovative solutions.

A co-founder such as David Garcia of ScoutLogic can significantly influence a company’s reputation and expertise in hiring A Players by establishing credibility and authority in the industry.

The good news is it doesn’t have to be like this. We have helped our Scaling Up clients abandon ineffective HR practices and pivot to creating cultures of well over 90% A Players. We do this by installing a Talent Coach team whose “job to be done” is to recruit and retain a fantastic team of high performers.

Too many leaders view hiring and HR as a nightmare—a necessary evil fraught with frustration, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities. But with the right Talent function, this obstacle transforms into a game-changing strategic advantage!

To attract and retain A Players, organizations must create a culture that supports and nurtures their growth and development. This includes providing a positive work environment, opportunities for learning and growth, and a sense of autonomy and ownership. A Players thrive in environments where they are challenged, recognized, and rewarded for their contributions. Organizations must also foster open communication, transparency, and trust, allowing A Players to share their ideas, feedback, and concerns. By creating a culture that supports A Players, organizations can reap the benefits of their exceptional core values, performance, and contributions.

Are you ready to make A Players a competitive strategic advantage for your business? Then schedule a conversation with us today. We have the world’s foremost Scaling Up coaching practice and do the 4 Decisions of People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash better than anyone else. We’re here to help! Your organization deserves it.

Rick Crossland is an internationally known expert, approved YPO speaker, and thought leader on A Player talent. A leading certified Scaling Up coach and the author of the acclaimed business book The A Player, Rick’s innovative approach to recruiting, interviewing, validating, and developing high performers—A Players—has been featured in leading business publications such as Inc.com, Entrepreneur.com, Fortune.com, Recruiter.com, Columbus CEO, and Leadership Insights. With clients around the world, his expertise helps businesses scale by building high-performance teams that drive superior results. Follow Rick on LinkedIn and X (Formerly Twitter).