When we think of top-performing workplaces, it’s easy to focus on big personalities and headline-makers. But as a Business Coach, I know sustainable success often hinges on those unsung heroes—the “glue employees” who consistently hold teams together. After reflecting on a recent Wall Street Journal article and Jim Collins’ classic insights in Good to Great, I felt compelled to share why these contributors deserve a special place in our company culture—and how our approach can help your team thrive.
Getting the Right People on the Bus—And in the Right Seats
Jim Collins taught us that greatness starts by getting the right people on the bus, then making sure they’re in the right seats. The “right people” are those who live by your organization’s core values, not just those with impressive résumés or technical skills. I believe that the characteristics of “glue players” should be embedded in those values—traits like collaboration, reliability, empathy, and quiet leadership.
In BOS, Values Drive Every People Decision
In our Business Operating System implementation, we stress that employees should be hired, fired, and rewarded based on their adherence to values. Imagine how powerful it is when your values include the traits that make glue employees so essential, such as:
Recognizing and rewarding team members who bring people together.
Making collaboration, support, and trust core values—alongside innovation or resultsUsing values as the “North Star” for promoting and developing employees.
When your hiring, performance management, and recognition practices all point toward values that reflect the importance of glue players, you naturally attract and retain these linchpins.
How Everything DiSC® Supports this Philosophy
Everything DiSC® from Wiley helps teams build emotional intelligence, identify natural collaborators, and develop the skills to support each other more deeply. By understanding behavioral styles, we can:
- Spot potential glue employees based on their DiSC profiles.
- Encourage others to grow into glue roles, even if it’s not their default style.
- Coach the whole team to value and support the understated strengths that keep the organization humming.
Case Study: Glue Players in Action
Behavioral scientist Jon Levy shares a story in both his WSJ article and his book Team Intelligence about a mid-sized tech company whose growth depended less on superstars and more on a handful of “glue players.” These individuals—often project managers or senior team members—weren’t always first to speak or grab recognition, but they consistently bridged communication gaps, anticipated team needs, and fostered a culture of mutual support.
When a major cross-departmental project threatened to stall due to conflicting priorities, it was a glue player who—using her emotional intelligence and broad relationships—facilitated honest dialogue, smoothed over egos, and kept the effort on track. Leadership later realized that without her, the project (and their timeline!) would have unraveled.
Levy’s research repeatedly found that innovative, resilient teams rely on these underrated contributors, and their qualities can—and should—be stitched into company values and hiring criteria.
Practical Next Steps
- Review your company values: Do they celebrate collaboration, support, and team-first thinking?
- Audit your talent processes: Are you hiring, managing, and rewarding people for acting as glue, not just individual performers?
- Use Everything DiSC® to pinpoint and develop these skills across your team.
- Make glue players visible: Share their stories, recognize their contributions, and model their behaviors in leadership.
- Encourage feedback: Regularly ask teams who they rely on, who helps projects move forward, and who brings people together—then spotlight and reward those individuals.
A Roadmap to Stronger Teams
Building a values-driven business isn’t just a theoretical exercise—it’s the best way to consistently find and keep the glue employees who drive sustained excellence. Let’s have a conversation about how to audit your values, align your processes, and use tools like BOS and Everything DiSC® to strengthen your team’s foundation.
Ready to get started, or want more resources and real-world examples? Contact me here—I’d love to help you build the kind of team where glue employees thrive, and everyone wins.
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