Why the World Needs B Players too
Advice to the young professionals looking to realize their potential as an A players. Here’s what sets ‘B-Players’ apart from ‘A-Players’…
Before I piss off too many people, I want to clearly state that every organization needs B players. These capable, steady performers are the best-supporting actors for the ambitions of the high-performing visionaries. B players act as grounders for charismatic A players. The reality is B players will always outnumber A player. Very few of us are either ambitious or charismatic enough to ever become A player and that’s okay.
The world needs B Players too… Here is why
Like all prize-winning supporting actors, B players bring depth and stability. They are always there as quiet yet powerful reminders to high performers obsessed with stardom as examples of what terrifies them the most — mediocrity.
‘B Players’ are not hard to spot.
They put their heads down and get to work. They generally like to be left alone to quietly complete their ‘tasks.’ They steer clear of working beyond the typical 8 hours. Their vacation days will always outnumber the days they worked past 5 pm. B Players are consistent and reliable… they clock in at 9am and are out by 5pm (no matter what).
‘A Players’ simply want it more.
They never give up, they’re ready to sacrifice, ready to work anytime, anywhere. From Michael Jordan to Bill Gates, A players share a common trait: an unwavering dedication to their craft and the commitment to developing their skills. Above all else is a willingness to work harder than the other guy or gal.
That’s not to say, you can’t create your own potential. We choose to be an A or B player. Most choose the latter over the prior without ever knowing the difference between the two, which is as much a mindset as intelligence.
B players regardless of talent or intelligence simply lack the mindset. You can’t teach it. Trust me, I’ve tried.
You don’t just become A players at what you do by simply punching in at 9 and leaving at 5; you get there through hard f***ing’ work. The differences between expert performers, creatives, and normal professionals reflect a life-long persistence of deliberate, purposeful effort to improve performance.
Everyone has an area of giftedness — something they do exceptionally well. Let go of the myth that giftedness is innate — its not. In “Beyond Talent,” John C. Maxwell asserts that a person’s natural abilities are overrated and frequently misunderstood. While talent is an undeniable advantage, it accomplishes nothing by itself. If talent is not paired with the right mindset and decisions, it wastes away and eventually evaporates.
However, apart from the natural talent we possess — the effort we put in is what sets us apart from the masses of people trying to skate by on talent alone.
To become an A player requires extraordinary effort
Uncommon achievement requires an uncommon level of grit and a massive amount of hard work and sacrifice. A players are identified by perseverance, concentration, insane drive, and absolute focus on getting shit done (regardless of what time it is). What we end up accomplishing in life ultimately depends on our effort.
That’s just the nature of life. To become truly great at something, we have to dedicate time and energy to it. And because we all have limited time and energy, few of us ever become truly exceptional at more than one thing, if anything at all.
Remember, for every Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, there are millions of talented basketball players that could have been but never were, stumbling around parks playing pickup games… and losing. For every Picasso or DaVinci there’s been a billion more drooling idiots eating Play-Doh and slapping around finger-paints.
