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Not Everyone’s Meant to be an A Player—And That’s the Hard Truth
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Not Everyone’s Meant to be an A Player—And That’s the Hard Truth

AI Deepdive: If you’re not willing to pay the price, stop expecting the reward.

Here’s a reality check: Not everyone wants—or needs—to be an A player. Some people are in it for the sprint, chasing impact at all costs, willing to pay the price in time, energy, and often, sanity. Others? They want to contribute meaningfully without the all-consuming demands. And that’s okay. But in a scale-up, the difference is crucial: you have to own where you stand, or frustration will eat you alive.

Being an A player isn’t just about talent or results. It’s about mindset. It’s a willingness to step into the fire daily, to accept that every extra mile takes something from you. For some, the trade-offs—the missed weekends, the constant push—are worth it. For others, it’s not. But here’s the problem: in an environment where senior leaders are expected to go all in, if you’re doing the 9-to-5 shuffle, you’re out of sync. Frustration? It comes from one place—misaligned expectations, often set by us, on ourselves.

So here’s the ask: know who you are. If you’re an A player, own the pace and stay in the fire. If you’re here to support, embrace that too. But don’t confuse the two paths. Impact has a cost. So does balance. Choose consciously, and choose well. Your job isn’t to prove anything to anyone but to align with the demands you signed up for.

Which are you—a player willing to pay the price, or a steady hand standing beside them? Both have value. Just don’t get caught pretending they’re the same.


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