Truth 42. B players are your A team

We all know who the A players are. They’re the ones with the sterling resumés who track steady upward trajectories, starting with preschool. They’ve worked for your competitors and know all their secrets. They keynote the big conferences and get invited to the receptions that the riffraff don’t know about—not even you. When they open their mouths to speak, everything grinds to a halt, even the factory floor, so that people can hear every single word. They’re paid exorbitant salaries, as well they should be. They’re quite the catch, you know. You’re lucky to have them.

You know who they are, but you don’t know them very well. That’s understandable. They haven’t been with your department very long. And, actually, what’s the point of getting to know them anyway? They won’t be with you very long either. They’re on their way up. So, a last-minute lunch is probably out of the question. They’re busy having lunch with your boss. Or a recruiter. Or your competitor.

If you want company for lunch, ask a B player to join you. B players, who are too frequently discounted as also-rans, almost-but-not-quites, are not only much better company, but they also make your business a much better company. If you’re looking for glitz, you won’t find it on the B player. The B player will never be on the cover of Vanity Fair or even at the parties. The B player is too busy printing the magazine, making sure each copy is an exquisite, delightful, crisp jewel, to aspire to being the jewel itself. B players are brilliant at what they do, so they don’t need a spotlight to shine.

B players are brilliant at what they do, so they don’t need a spotlight to shine.

B players, in short, are the ones you can’t do without. In the bright light flashing around the A players, the B players may seem like failures in comparison. Ho-hum, hum-drums. But that’s only if you value aspiration and ego. Which, as a wise manager, you don’t. You value steady, focused, dedicated work. Attention to detail. A big-picture understanding of the industry. A deep well of institutional memories. A rich network of long-standing relationships. Firmly ensconced deep inside their jobs, they’re not exposed to the fights or flights of fancy that come along with A players and their whims. They can take the idea-of-the-month and transform it into both strategy and tactic that will push the business forward. You won’t notice what they’ve done, because they’re busy working on the next project, not looking for the limelight.

B players, in short, are the ones you can’t do without.

Don’t get the wrong idea about B players. They’re not losers. Some of them are actually A players on a breather—super-high achievers who saw what personal price they were paying dedicating so much of their lives to their careers and decided to balance their lives out a little better. Some of them really love their jobs and simply aren’t interested in climbing the career ladder. Or they’re attached to their team members and get their fulfillment simply working every day with people they like. Or they’re proud of the company. Or they’re proud of the creativity, accuracy, and excellence with which they do their job. And so they do it exceedingly well. And you count on them.

Some of them are actually A players on a breather.

But B players are also not martyrs or selfless saints. They need recognition and reward for the jobs they do. They just might not be impressed with the sparkly promises that you routinely dangle in front of A players. They may not be motivated by the potential of the next promotion in a new city that would force them to uproot their contented family. But they might especially appreciate more salary. Or a paid trip to that conference that will help them do their job better. Or a mentor who will help them identify and help them achieve their next career goal (that they define in their own terms).

B players are truly high performers. Make sure they know you notice and appreciate who they are and what they do for your organization. No one wants to be invisible. So if you are too blinded by the flashy sparkle of your A players, there may come a day when you realize that your precious B players have mysteriously disappeared.