Preparing Teams for Scale: The A-Player Strategy

The challenge is that traditional hiring often breaks down at the executive level, leading to costly mistakes that hurt both culture and momentum. For years at Pender & Howe, we have focused on the A-Player Strategy, a simple framework that has helped our company and our clients avoid these pitfalls. It’s built on one simple principle: A-players attract A-players. 

In this article, we'll look at how to apply the A-Player Strategy, from spotting high-quality leaders to timing your growth and managing leadership transitions.

How to Identify A-Players During Hiring

A-players aren't always the candidates with the most impressive resumes. The best hires often distinguish themselves in simple ways that reveal deeper character traits.

Focus on the Fundamentals

The most reliable indicators are often the basics: showing up on time, dressing appropriately, sending thoughtful follow-up notes, and coming prepared with relevant questions. These behaviors show respect and attention to detail.

Look for candidates who go the extra mile without being asked: executives who research your company, prepare case studies, or ask insightful questions about your business challenges.

Apply the "Heck Yes or Heck No" Rule

For small teams especially: if you're not completely excited about someone, don't hire them. There's no room for "maybe" when the stakes are this high.

Building an A-Player Foundation: Why Your First 10 Hires Matter Most

Our philosophy at Pender & Howe is simple: make sure the first 10 hires are A-players, because they determine who the next 10 will be. The math is simple: A-players attract other A-players, while B-players hire C-players to avoid being outshined.

The Compound Effect of Quality Hiring

When your first wave are high performers, they naturally raise the bar for future candidates. McKinsey research shows that superior talent is up to eight times more productive than average contributors—a gap that's even larger in leadership roles.

Conversely, hire mediocre talent early and you'll struggle to attract top performers later. Exceptional candidates won't join teams surrounded by underperformers.

Understanding the Math of Small Teams

The smaller your team, the more critical each hiring decision becomes. In a 10-employee company, one bad hire represents 10% of your entire organization. That single person can disrupt team dynamics, lower morale, and create cultural problems that take months to resolve.

And then there’s the cost: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a bad hire costs at least 30% of the employee’s first-year earnings. 

Implement Collaborative Evaluation

Involve multiple team members in your hiring process. Have candidates meet various people across your organization to spot red flags and ensure they work well with different personalities.

Focus your hiring energy wisely. McKinsey suggests that companies should focus on the 5% of strategic roles that create 95% of the value. To determine what those roles are, consider specific business challenges:

• Revenue has plateaued and you need proven sales leadership
• Operations are breaking down and require systematic oversight
• You're entering new markets and need domain expertise
• Current leaders are stretched too thin

The Thoughtful Growth Approach

Growing "thoughtfully slow" means resisting pressure to hit arbitrary headcount numbers. Focus on building sustainable capability aligned with your trajectory.

At Pender & Howe, we could have 5x the employees today, but chose to prioritize building an A-player foundation first. This takes longer initially but creates a platform for faster, sustainable growth later.

Recognizing the Tipping Point

Watch for clear signals that it's time to hire:
 

• Team members consistently working unsustainable hours
• Regularly turning down business due to capacity constraints
• Key processes breaking down due to lack of oversight
• Customer satisfaction declining because of bandwidth issues

The key is distinguishing between temporary busy periods and structural capacity limitations. Don't hire permanent staff to solve temporary problems, but don't wait so long you burn out existing A-players.

• Which responsibilities do you genuinely want to keep?
• What do you do out of habit rather than necessity?
• Where are you adding value versus staying busy?
• How will you respond when the new executive makes different decisions?
   

This self-reflection is often more important than the search itself. A-players won't join organizations where they'll be micromanaged or where authority is unclear.

Setting Up New Executives for Success

Successful transitions need structural support. Consider executive coaching for both yourself and the new hire during the transition period. This can help navigate the adjustment and provide neutral guidance.

You should also document expectations upfront and revisit them regularly during the first six months. This transparency prevents misunderstandings and builds trust.

Want to hear more about implementing the A-Player Strategy in your organization? Listen to my full conversation about scaling teams without breaking culture on the Smart Way to Scale podcast.

For strategic guidance on building your leadership team, contact Pender & Howe to discuss your specific hiring challenges.