This is a common question leaders ask when they're feeling stuck between ambitious goals and current reality.
The good news? You probably can go much farther than you think with the team you have.
Over my 30+ year career I've worked with dozens of teams across companies of all sizes. Most were made up of good people who genuinely wanted to do great work. Some were A players, but the majority were passionate B players. They were hungry, capable people who just needed some simple, but key, things to transform into a winning team.
I propose that every high-performing team needs three essential elements. Take care of these, and you'll be amazed at what your current team can accomplish.
We call this a Compelling Audacious Goal, a vision that has three specific characteristics:
It draws you in and makes you believe. It encourages you to hope again. You don’t want to pass up this opportunity.
It feels challenging, maybe even just out of reach, but it inspires you to chase what's possible.
It's clear and tangible. Something you can sink your teeth into. You can close your eyes and imagine accomplishing it.
Think about any great sports movie like Hoosiers, Miracle, and Remember the Titans. They all follow the same pattern: a leader believes in the team, presents a goal that seems impossible, and the team gets inspired, begins to believe, and creates a champion story.
People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. When you cast a compelling vision, you give your team a reason to stretch beyond what they thought possible.
Schedule a team meeting specifically to discuss your Compelling Audacious Goal. I encourage you to involve your team in creating this CAG. If you come up with it together as a team then there will be joint ownership and buy-in.
Your team also needs some simple operational foundations that championship teams depend on.
Most teams I work with are passionate and capable, but they're missing basic operating systems. They don't have consistent processes, they're not aligned on decision-making, and they lack the regular rhythms that keep high-performing teams in sync.
This isn't about complicated systems or endless training. It's about getting the core foundations right:
When teams learn these fundamentals, everything else gets easier. Problems get solved faster, communication improves, and people feel more confident about their ability to execute.
Audit your current operating rhythms. What's working? What's creating friction? Pick one fundamental area to improve over the next 30 days.
A culture where feedback is a gift, accountability feels like teamwork, and everyone believes they can improve with the right support.
The concept of growth mindset versus fixed mindset, developed by psychologist Carol Dweck, distinguishes between people who believe abilities are static (fixed mindset) versus those who believe abilities can be developed through effort and learning (growth mindset). When you cultivate a growth mindset culture, people stop asking "Am I good at this?" and start asking "How can I get better at this?". That mindset shift changes everything.
Most organizations struggle here. People avoid difficult conversations. Feedback is either too harsh or too soft. Accountability feels like punishment instead of partnership. When someone struggles, the default response is to replace them rather than develop them.
Championship teams do this differently. They create environments that are clear, consistent, and caring:
When teams get this right, something magical happens. People start asking for feedback instead of avoiding it. They take ownership of problems and solutions. They support each other's growth instead of competing.
Your passionate B players become A players. Your A players become leaders.
Implement one growth-focused practice this month, maybe it's regular one-on-ones, or a team feedback session, or simply asking "How can I help you grow?" in your next team meeting.
Here's what I've seen time and again: when teams have an inspiring vision, solid operational foundations, and a growth-focused culture, ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things.
Gather your team for a Vision workshop
Audit your current systems and pick one area to strengthen
Begin having more frequent, growth-focused conversations
They're built one intentional decision at a time
Ready to help your team reach its potential? I specialize in helping SMB leaders build great companies through a proven framework and personalized coaching. Whether you need a Vision Workshop, Foundations training, or ongoing leadership coaching, I'm confident that I can help you unlock what's possible with your current team.
Curious? Let's Talk about your specific challenges and talk about a personalized solution for you and your team.