Great Organizations Start with A-Players

A great group of A-Players.

At Level Upkes, we always focus on the team first.

Because if you want to build a transparent, cohesive, and aligned organization, you need the right people on the team.

We define an A-Player as someone who is a strong fit for the culture and core values of the organization, is highly motivated and productive, and consistently meets or exceeds expectations.

That’s why I believe culture and core values fit should come before skills and experience when evaluating candidates. Once you know someone fits who you are as an organization, then you can determine whether they have the competencies needed for the role.

This week, I had the opportunity to work with the Fisher Associates team in Rochester, NY, bringing together about 35 leaders from across the organization for quarterly planning.

Fisher understands well that senior leadership doesn’t have all the answers.

To reach an organization's full potential, you have to engage leaders at every level. In fact, some of the best insights often come from the people closest to the work, the teams, and the customers.

That was certainly evident this week.

I was impressed by this group's intellect, curiosity, poise, and tenacity.

They were engaged. They asked great questions. They wanted to learn. They wanted to do great work. And, most importantly, they genuinely care about the people and teams they lead.

That combination leads to ambitious goals and the ability to achieve them.

I’m incredibly proud of this team and grateful for the opportunity to work alongside them and lead them through such an engaging and productive planning session.

And just look at those smiles!

This team is proud of what they’re building, and they should be.

Go Team!