The first part is based on personal experience. I've met a few people in my 25+ year career that do fit the "A" criteria. Very few. They're exceedingly rare, b

The first part is based on personal experience. I've met a few people in my 25+ year career that do fit the "A" criteria. Very few. They're exceedingly rare, but they exist. But you can't hire a whole team of them. What you can do is hire "B"s who aspire to be As. And if, as a manager, you're incredibly lucky, you'll see the occasional one reach that level. Consider yourself blessed if that happens. Saying "there are no B or C players", however, is doing a disservice to your team - because it's your job as a leader to help people grow. And for that, you're better aware what level somebody performs at.