True, on an individual level, superstar employees produce great work and great results. But their value to the team extends much further. On top of incredible productivity and excellent performance, they also are able to:

Spot More Good Talent

There is a cognitive bias where the most skilled individuals often underestimate their abilities, while those who are less skilled tend to overrate theirs. This happens because they lack the skill to see their own shortcomings. If you can’t see it in yourself, you won’t notice it in others either. Steve Jobs once said, “A players hire A players; B players hire C players” at Apple.

Attract Other Superstars

In his review of a National Bureau of Economic Research paper titled “Why Stars Matter,” Walter Frick concludes, “in at least some cases, the biggest effect of hiring a superstar is who it allows you to hire next.” The research he cites found that a superstar’s impact on recruiting was a more significant driver of improved organizational productivity than the superstar’s performance alone. Starting just one year after the superstar joined the department, the talent level of newcomers to the department increased significantly. Vick Vaishnavi’s example of Lebron James joining Miami Heat supports this: A-players like to work with other A-players.

Develop Others by Modeling the Right Behavior

A team of low performers has low expectations by definition no matter how hard they work. The biggest problem they have is that they don’t realize this is the case until they can see, feel, and experience the difference between two disparate levels of performance. Just by working for or next to a superstar, everyone else’s capability and potential increases.

Teach Others

More formally, they also explicitly teach and train others. High performers are always learning, growing, and developing their skillsets. This often puts them at the cutting edge of innovative thought, new trends, and best practices. After vetting and implementing new approaches, they bring that new knowledge and capability to others.

Elevate Team Norms

Superstars are motivated to work hard and achieve results. This builds a climate of excitement. They also want to feel a sense of equity, and will be quick to not tolerate underperformers.

If you have superstars on your team, thank them for the value that they bring above and beyond their own individual performance.