You would be hard-pressed to find a leader whose ideal scenario doesn’t include leading a team of “all-stars.” Indeed, a leader’s job would be easier with a team of employees who all deliver amazing results consistently, while also displaying an exceptional attitude. It would be like having a team full of LeBron James. Unfortunately, a team of all-stars in business is no more likely than it is in sports.
Reflexively, many leaders will lead homogeneously—with the way they spend their time, allocate resources and rewards, monitor, and coach. That will lead to a likely scenario where the “A-players” will perform well—objectively or relatively—and the “B-players” will yield give or take, at par. Thus, a conscientious leader, who has been socialized to do so, you would likely believe that you need to invest more time with the B-player (and less with the A). After all, the A-player is performing well and can and should be left alone to do that; it’s the B who needs the help. Right?
Wrong. The time allocation is backward.
The ideal allocation of your time is 80% with A’s and 20% with B’s.
The rationale is that investing in your B-players can be productive, but it will be linear. You put in 1, they will yield 1. But, investing in your A-players will be exponential. You put in 1, they yield 2. This happens because an A-player brings the right balance of performance and commitment to culture. Their work emanates beyond themselves.
Still, leaders will hesitate to make this shift in time-allocation, believing that they will be accused of “playing favorites” and indeed they likely will be. But, playing favorites based on performance (versus affinity) is not only defensible, but smart. It requires a pragmatic understanding of the difference between equality and equity. Although the best leaders treat their people equally (e.g., with kindness, respect, and presence), they also treat them equitably. Quite simply, employees who give more energy, passion, time, expertise, etc., get more time, attention, resources, and opportunities.
In the words of retired Gen. Colin Powell, “Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity: You’ll avoid the tough decisions, you’ll avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted, and you’ll avoid offering differential rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset. Ironically, by procrastinating on the difficult choices, by trying not to get anyone mad, and by treating everyone equally ‘nicely’ regardless of their contributions, you’ll simply ensure that the only people you’ll wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in the organization.“
With this philosophy in mind, you will enjoy leading more. If given the choice, who wouldn’t prefer to spend the majority of their time with their best talent? In addition, you will allocate the 20% time you have left for B-players more effectively. B-players can still add tremendous value. Basketball teams have “bench” players for a reason: to play the minutes that the stars don’t want or need to play. Similarly, in organizations, we need a group of employees to do the things the stars do not want or need to do. Therefore, the issue is not whether you should be investing in your B-players. Of course you should, especially because B’s can sometimes become A’s. At the same time, you must be cognizant to show a clear differentiation between where you spend your most valuable resource: time.
Your A-players will thank you for behaving this way. They will play even harder for you, which by definition, is a function of great leadership. Stars are keenly aware of what they bring to the table and expect to be treated differentially from those who bring less. No star wants to be given the same opportunities, time, or pay as a lower performer (no matter how hard they are trying) nor the same treatment as the colleague who is a great executor, but toxic relationally and bad for the culture. Therefore, start sending a clear message to your stars that the majority of your time and attention is reserved for them. If you don’t, your competitors just might.
– SP