Great Leaders Don’t Just Select Talent, They Ensemble It

Some leaders are great judges of talent.

Using their deep experience and a well-developed template of salient qualities, they focus on attributes others miss or overlook.

Through questions, observations, and secret tests, they spot extraordinary potential before anyone else does, sometimes even before the performers themselves. Their track record for selecting outstanding performers is plainly superior to everyone else.

Becoming a great judge of talent is something every leader aspires to.

But there’s another talent judgment that is equally important and perhaps even more rare—the ability to ensemble talent.

Leaders who excel at building a diverse, collaborative team, where each member complements the others, have found the bonanza of talent selection.

Leaders great at ensembling talent think first about the chemistry and fit between individual talents and skills. They desire to create a great mix of people who will collide and bring out the best in each other.

While diversity in experience, perspectives, skills, and temperaments is critical in reaching quality decisions, leaders who are great at ensembling talent look for something more. They desire individuals on the team to balance, offset, and round off each other.

But most of all, they want individuals who will push the buttons that others on the team need to be pushed. This sometimes means combining different generations, or overlapping new and more seasoned team members, or finding an ideal blend of independent and collaborative styles.

They are always tinkering with the recipe.

Like well-known examples in famous music groups, theatre casts, and dynasty sports teams, leaders know that any addition to or subtraction from the team can significantly change the dynamics of the connection.

So, they ask themselves: What qualities and style would bring out an even stronger collective spirit for this team?

Of course, the process of ensembling talent begins with an inventory of skills and styles across the existing team. The more complete this picture, the better, including an objective view of what the leader brings to the table.

The best ensemblers include a thoughtful description of the traditions, pedigrees, and backgrounds of the team members, with an eye toward what would make them comfortable and uncomfortable. They know it is the unexpected chemistry between qualities (think peanut butter and chocolate) that can make all the difference.

When it comes to teams, it is even more important to ensemble talent that makes others stronger and better than it is to find great talent on an individual basis.

An ensemble of the right stars makes the night sky of any team brighter. Great leaders know how talent fits together.