Yesterday was a good reminder for me. Most teams struggle with character more than competence. Both are required. Character matters more. Effort beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Effort counts twice. You know this. Yet, as leaders, we mostly hire for talent. Fact.
Remember this brief truth when recruiting, leader. There are broadly 3T’s when it comes to relationships. Toxic, transactional, and transformational. Toxic relationships are too often tolerated when the toxic dudes score goals, you know. Cut them quickly before you get addicted to what they can do in spite of what comes with it. Transactional ones are the norm. Each party gets what it came for. We have a relationship and it works, just not wonders.
Transformational relationships are the ones you want one more of. There are few transformational teammates but when you build one, you will know it. Both parties are better because they’re iron sharpening iron. These relationships are the hallmark of excellent teams. They have one or two more of these than the good teams. Here’s the catch.
Normal leaders invest most of their energy on the first two types and very little on the latter. They assume the talented dudes with high character don’t need attention. So, they leave them alone.
Talent needs attention.
If you’re going to transform top talent into 1% kind of performers, you invest the majority of your time pushing them in all the right places. You make them do what they can and make them keep reaching for more. Your leadership and their talent will take root when you focus attention here. Cut quickly the toxic. Put the transactional performers in the right place to play to their strength. Stretch the transformational dudes which in turn stretches you. Simple, not easy. Damn.
Live hard. Love harder…
BUILT TO LEAD 