Everyone wants to be part of an Elite Team and leaders want to lead Elite Teams. Leaders can push a lot of buttons and pull a lot of levers in an effort to make their team elite. But, the truly elite teams start with the right kind of team members.

Yes you have to hire the right people. It is critical to start with the right material. But sometimes the people we hire do not live up to the potential we saw in them.

When we begin to see those team members at work, they usually fall into four categories. It is critical for the leader to recognize which of these categories a team member is operating in and take action.

The Poor Fit Team Members

Though some people make it through the hiring process, they turn out to be a poor fit.  When we recognize someone is a poor fit, the leaders need to remove that person from the team.

  • Low Competence:  They were good enough to be hired, but their skills remain on the low end of the spectrum.
    • Growth:  They don’t have the competence to grow beyond where they currently are.
  • Low Character:  This appears in three ways.
    • Selfish: They contribute to the team because they have to.
    • Growth:  They are not coachable and not accountable.
    • Excuses: They make excuses for their performance deficits.

It is obvious what needs to be done with the Poor Fit member of our teams.  Do we have the Courage to do it?

The Margin Seeker Team Members

These are the potential all-stars who continue to dissappoint and do just enough to get by.  When we identify the Margin Seeker, it’s time to establish consequences for them and follow through on those consequences.

  • High Competence:  They are the most troubling members of the team, because they have the ability to do be elite.
    • Growth:  They have the potential to make the changes and grow.
  • Low Character:  The same three issues as the Poor Fit.
    • Selfish: They contribute to the team because they have to.
    • Growth:  They are not coachable and not accountable.
    • Excuses: They make excuses for their performance deficits.

It is obvious what needs to be done with Margin Seeker member of our teams.  Do we have the Courage to do it?

The Rudy Team Members

This is the person everybody loves. Just like in the movie Rudy, this team member has marginal abilities, but they will give it everything they have. If we have a Rudy, we need to keep them at the level where their skills still help the team.  But, at the same time be willing to replace them if a more qualified person is ready to move into their role.

  • Low Competence: They were good enough to be hired, but their skills remain on the low end of the spectrum.
    • Growth: They don’t have the competence to grow beyond where they currently are.
  • High Character:  They demonstate their character in three ways.
    • Selfless: They contribute to the team because they want to.
    • Growth:  They are coachable and accountable.
    • Excuses: They do not make excuses for low performance. They own it and work to fix it.

Rudy is lovable and can make a strong contribution.  But do we have the Courage to replace Rudy when an Elite Team Member is ready to take on Rudy’s responsibilities?

The Elite Team Members

This is the person the Navy SEALs and world class teams like the Golden State Warriors covet. When you have a team member like this, you want more of them. A leader that is blessed with a team full of elite people, never regrets letting go the Poor Fit, the Margin Seekers, or the Rudy’s.

  • High Competence:  They are realizing their potential everyday. They have a high ceiliing and never stop reaching for it.
    • Growth:  They have the potential to make the changes and grow.
  • High Character:  They demonstate their character in three ways.
    • Selfless: They contribute to the team because they want to.
    • Growth:  They are coachable and accountable.
    • Excuses: They do not make excuses for low performance. They own it and work to fix it.

The Bottom Line:

Most leaders want an Elite Team.  But no matter how gifted the leader is, that team will not reach elite status unless the leader hires and builds his/her people into Elite Team Members.

It takes a Leader of Character to exercise the Courage needed to develop an Elite Team.  If we are not leading an Elite Team, we need ask ourselves,

“Do I have Elite Team Members and am I prepared to do what it takes to have an Elite Team?”

Question: 

What category does each of your team members fall into?  Which category are you?

*Thanks to COL(Ret) Craig Flowers for the insights and partnership on this blog. @COLCraigFlowers

Dave Anderson is coauthor of the Amazon Best-Seller Becoming a Leader of Character – Six Habits that Make or Break a Leader at Work and at Home with his father General James L. Anderson (USA Retired).

You can order Becoming a Leader of Character on Amazon by clicking here:

bit.ly/LOCBook.

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