The Hidden Cost of Standing Still: Evaluating Talent Before It’s Too Late

When it comes to coaching top-level executives and high-performing leadership teams, one of the most important conversations we are having today is about the talent around them and the strategic succession planning they have in mind. 

Look at your own team today:

· Do you have the right people in the right seats to compete in today’s market?

· Are they evolving as quickly as the world around them?

· Do you trust them to elevate the performance on their teams going into next year?

As a coach, and as a former Final Four head coach, I was expected to elevate my staff and players every single year. If I didn’t, we couldn’t compete. And when someone couldn’t keep up—no matter how loyal or hard-working— I knew I had to move them on to another opportunity. That was never easy, but it was necessary. Leaders who don’t make those difficult decisions often end up being replaced themselves.

There were also times when I had the wrong people on my staff. Some I acted on quickly, and others I kept around for too long. And that came with real costs to me and the program:

· Morale suffered. The staff saw the underperformance and saw that I didn’t make the necessary change.

· The load shifted. Other staff member carried more of the weight, creating resentment and tension on the team.

· I was stretched too thin. I found myself burning the candle at both ends to fill gaps and to cover for other people.

· Recruiting fell short. Top players wouldn’t join us because the coach lost the credibility to develop them.

· Mistakes piled up. Things fell through the cracks and mistakes would snowball making it extremely challenging to catch up.

This is the reality every leader faces. When you don’t address performance gaps, the whole team (and organization) pays the price—and eventually so does the leader.

I am asking my clients these same questions right now. Some are in a good place. Others are working hard to catch up, position themselves, and respond to external pressures. But every leader must pause and ask: Do I have the team that can take us where are going or where we need to go?

Now is the time to evaluate, assess, recalibrate, and level up. Don’t wait for January to realize you’re behind or don’t have the right team in place. Step into the new year with the people and the talent who can help you win today.