On any given team, not everyone will be a superstar.

True superstars are rare. That's what makes them stand out.

They have a combination of skills and intangible qualities that help them be extraordinarily effective.

In most orgs, a handful of superstars will make themselves evident and rise to the top.

The vast majority of the team will most likely be solid role players, fulfilling expectations and keeping things going.

Rather than unrealistically aiming for many superstars, an org can benefit more by "minding the bottom".

Who are the underperformers? Who are poor fits not buying into the culture? Who behaves in toxic ways that hurt the team?

Having strong systems to remediate or weed these team members out helps protect the performance of role players and superstars.

Hiring is hard – it's possible to have excellent recruiting and screening systems but still end up with poor fit team members or those who don't live up to expectations.

The key is to assess and make decisions quickly, to always protect those who are driving results for the team.