The A-Player Trap: Lazy Learning vs. Uphill Struggle
Life Isn’t Perfect
Although we touch on ideal organizational design, in many companies it is simply not achievable.
A very strong structural defense for B-players is setting up a matrix organization. This isn't inherently bad if done for the right reasons. However, unless you have ultimate seniority (which, outside of the board, is rarely achievable), you won't be empowered to build an ideal A-player organization.
The competing sides of a matrix will inevitably prop up the existing B-player ecosystem.
As a result, we have to look at what happens during a transitional phase—or in an organization that simply won't have the option to change for the better.
A Warning to the A-Players
This isn't for managers or leaders. This is directly for the A-players.
While you are focused on achieving objectives, developing yourself, and improving your environment, you must remain aware of B-players.
This distraction is painful and takes away the joy of running at full sprint. But if you do not prepare for it, YOU will be taken down.
The fallout will impact:
- Your career progression
- Your motivation for your current role
- Your drive for the specific specialization you chose in the first place
While the specific actions are detailed in the B-Player Defensive Playbook, the key here is accepting the reality of the situation and protecting yourself from risk.
Your Greatest Strength is Your Biggest Weakness
Let's look at work ethic and choosing what to excel in:
Although you may not realize it, your productivity and way of working are far superior to sub A-players. While you work hard, by definition you don't have to work as hard to achieve the same results as a B-player would.
You're probably thinking: "That's great, isn't it?"
The answer is a big NO.
While you are passionately excelling with less discipline and raw effort, the B-player is learning how to:
- Organize and operationalize
- Sweat through the process
- Practice relentlessly to get half as good as you are
This is a very real threat to the longevity of A-players. A-players are, by definition, lazy learners because they find their core work easy and enjoyable.
The Self-Preservation Strategy
For the sake of your own preservation, you must intentionally choose topics to focus on that you are not good at and don't enjoy.
- Get out of your comfort zone: Find a subject you find nearly impossible and devote disciplined, regular time to becoming reasonably good at it.
- Avoid the illusion of growth: If you are an electrical engineer and you decide to pick up electronics, that isn't moving out of your comfort zone!
This is an essential exercise in learning how to learn, how to operationalize, and how to build the discipline to push through uncomfortable, unrewarding work.
In a few years, things may not come as naturally to you. The landscape of your role will shift. When that happens, you will be up against B-players who have spent their entire lives mastering corporate politics, who resent what A-players represent, and who are already absolute masters at learning topics they neither initially understand nor enjoy.
