Superstar versus Everyday

What is the difference between a superstar and an everyday performer?
Is it years of experience?
Or appearance?
Intensity?
Reputation?

A faux superstar--someone with the reputation, but more a soloist with talent--is not more valuable than an everyday performer who works within the team. In fact, the faux superstar is a detriment to the team.

A real superstar does all the little things and takes the responsibility for the results. And when those results become reality, shares the credit.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

Superstar mentality

"He's a superstar at the office." "She's unbelievable." "He's the most creative person around." "We have the best team anywhere."

We hear superlatives all day long and we let them go without testing them:

Is he really a superstar or is he good, with a lot of room to improve?

Is she unbelievable or is she really above average?

Is he the most creative person or is he really strong in one particular area?

Do we have the best team in the world or are we comparing ourselves to ourselves?

One problem with superlatives is that we believe them. That doesn't help the performers who have the potential to be truly great--if anything it demotivates them.

Another problem with superlatives is that often they are not about the person or team being "superlatived," they are about the person handing out the superlative--it makes them look good, nice, etc.

We need to test and challenge our superlatives if we're going grow any true "superstars."

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

The Yankee Years

I just read Joe Torre's book on his managerial career with the New York Yankees. This posting is not about sports--it's about a great learning I had after reading the book.

Torre's Yankees won four World Series during a five year span. As I read the book I learned why--the teams he assembled were real teams--not a group of solo performers. Those guys cared about winning, they did what it took to help the team. His teams stopped winning World series after those guys retired and the Yankees replaced them with "superstars."

Those superstars hit a lot of home runs and were quite famous, but they didn't connect with their teammates.

Just like in business. How many times have you had an employee that was a "superstar" undermine or hurt your company? It happens all the time.

We need to realize--I need to realize--that even if a person is supposedly "great" that if they aren't willing to be part of the team, they are liabilities. Sounds easy, but is it hard to realize it and even harder to do something about it. How do you fire Alex Rodriguez?