Imagine...what could you accomplish with a team of A Players?

Rick Crossland is an internationally-known expert and thought leader on A Player talent. His innovative approach to developing and validating high performers - A Players – has been published in leading business sites such as Inc.com, Entrepreneur.com and Fortune.com, where Rick contributes articles as a Fortune Insider - a network where the most thoughtful and influential people in the entrepreneurial scene answer questions about business and careers.

Rick genuinely walks the talk when it comes to being an A Player. He has almost 30 years of experience developing, recruiting and leading high performers, and developing high performing cultures at companies. Before founding his successful executive coaching, leadership and talent development company eight years ago, Rick worked at Johnson and Johnson, ICI-Zeneca, Planters-Lifesavers, Ford Motor Company and Limited Brands. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Delaware and a MBA from Duke University. In addition to his writing and consulting, Rick is a dynamic speaker who loves to captivate audiences with his unique A Player approach.

Rick is author of the book, The A Player. He works with organizations across the country to transform good companies into great companies with his unique A Player approach.

In today’s conversation with us, Rick defines an A Player – who they are and what they look for in an organization. We then explore the problem with settling for B and C Players, why more companies don’t have A Player teams, and how you can find, attract and develop a team of 100% A Players who are congruent, committed, and will help you transform your company from good to great.

Key Takeaways

1. An A Player is the top 10% of the industry for the salary that you’re offering; somebody who you would enthusiastically rehire and who models your core values.
2. Everybody deserves to be an A Player somewhere.
3. There’s nothing more transformational than building a team of 100% A Players.
4. The job of the leader is to leave a legacy of great people around you. Therefore the #1 job of the CEO needs to be talent.
5. Companies can’t find good talent because they’re settling for B Players.
6. 80% of companies get their hiring wrong. 8 out of 10 hires aren’t the A Players they thought they were getting.
7. Go for A Potential rather than a B Player.
8. You want your playbook to be a 50/50 blend between technical and leadership skills.
9. Most people are very incongruent. Your A Players are the most congruent.
10. A Players don’t want to work with B and C Players. They are repellents to A Players. A Players want to work with people who challenge them so they do their best work.
11. Conduct performance reviews at least quarterly, along with a weekly coaching conversation.
12. If you have strong systems, it makes it easier to cross-develop people.
13. With an A Player team, the goal is better than 10% net margin for the company

Episode Show Notes: https://leadersoftransformation.com/podcast/business/291-rick-crossland-how-to-recruit-train-and-retain-a-players-for-your-team https://leadersoftransformation.com/podcast/business/291-rick-crossland-how-to-recruit-train-and-retain-a-players-for-your-team/

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