Impact Players. Finding them, developing them, leveraging them
“Winning isn’t everything, but it beats anything that comes in second.” Paul Bryant
This blog goes out to Alan, a friend, leader, and man of character. Alan suggested this topic from his own experience as a business leader and from a podcast he listened to with Brene Brown and Liz Wiseman. Wiseman wrote a book entitled, "Impact Players." I confess I have not read it but I am a fan of her book, "Multipliers." I suggest both of these books to you and your team.
Impact players. You know these people. The ones you need in tough spots, when a team must perform or an obstacle must be overcome. I'm not sure how they are wired but these people - impact players, can perform when it counts, typically under pressure. They enjoy the full trust and confidence of leaders and teammates. I equate impact players to relief pitchers who are brought in, usually toward the end of a game or a crucial inning in baseball, to ensure the win. They exist not only on the ball field, they exist in your business.
Impact players are frequently found by accident. Something difficult hits an organization and these people rise to the occasion and shine. You can find impact players by challenging people to jump into complex situations and perform (read Multipliers). As with anything in leadership, you'll need to build and maintain a healthy organizational culture. You'll need to know your people on a deeper level (read my book!) and form a solid relationship with them, grounded in trust and mutual respect. While it is true these people can materialize by themselves, you as a leader can establish a challenging, yet supportive environment (I teach a class on this!) where the true talents of these people - their impact, is discovered. Start with rigorous vignettes and exercises which require problem solving and action and see what happens.
It is one thing to identify the impact players on your team, but it is quite another to develop them. People grow professionally and personally and when you find an impact player, you can do a few things to develop them. First, resource them. If these are the people who will ensure the win, give them resources and authority to do just that. Avoid singling them out and don't give them the world, but pave the way for their impact. This will allow them to grow and flourish. Set conditions so that when their impact is needed they are able to do their stuff! Second, even impact players have weaknesses and growth needs. Don't rest on your laurels believing they are the total package. Challenge them to grow even more, to address and overcome their challenges.
Lastly, don't settle for just finding and developing them. Leverage them by asking them to help grow others. Don't let them come to the rescue without an apprentice near by. Don't let them bail out the organization without sharing with others how they did it. Ask them to make their impact infectious.
Find, develop, and leverage your impact player(s) today, and like all of your people, invest in them!
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell