A-Players

Most people who are very good at their job are driven up a wall by co-workers who are not that good. They usually have two options: either shut up and fret; or call a spade a spade and risk getting termed arrogant (To avoid confusion, let me clarify: I am not talking about people who have delusions about their abilities; rather I am talking of people who really are exceptionally good at their job).

Steve Jobs pointed a not so obvious risk of hiring not-the-cream employees way back in the ‘80’s: “A-players hire A-players, B-players hire C-players”. Apart from the obvious benefit of having A-players (they do their job very well), A-players don’t settle for good, they want great. Which opens the door to a whole world of new opportunities. In many cases (but not all), the self-confidence that comes up with knowing they are that good also allows A-players to be willing to ask others for help in areas they don’t know. They don’t view asking for help as a sign of weakness.

Okay then, so why don’t all companies hire A-players then? Partly, A-players can (and do) pick and choose the companies they work for, so it’s hard to get them. Secondly, most companies don’t need all A-player teams (they just need a few A-players, the rest just need to be good enough to do modern day versions of assembly line work).

So if you think you are an A-player and find yourself surrounded by B and even C-players, maybe your company doesn’t need the crème de la crème. In which case, you need to either make your peace with your co-workers. Or you need to switch to the company that hires only the very best.