A-players

An “A-player” is someone who is notably hungrier for ownership and growth.

Typically, they will have a series of other traits too:

• industriousness
• cunning
• passion

They’re the types that clamor for responsibility and exceed expectations early in their tenure at a company.

I would classify any sufficiently hungry team member, as an A-player. Regardless of whether their immediate technical skills hold up, their hunger will carry them farther than their immediate position. A hungry person can learn at rates 2x, 5x, or 10x their peers.

However, as a manager, you can stifle this growth, if you don’t know when to promote them or give them additional ownership.

In these situations, it’s not uncommon for them to work like B-players, out of boredom or loss of confidence in their leaders. In fact, many supposed “B-players” in a company are just team members who realized their leadership doesn’t match their own expectations for growth and excellence.

As leaders, we must be very careful not to stifle our A-players, or they’ll leave for opportunities that give them growth and ownership.