Every Company Needs a Glue Player

The best leader I ever had was once described by a colleague as "the one person in the company who's willing to do anything that needs to be done. Meeting with a large client, scrubbing in to write some code, cleaning the toilet or sweeping the floor. No ego, just willingness to serve the business and the people." I hadn't thought about him that way, but as soon as she said it, I agreed 100%. This was the leader we needed, and likely one we weren't appreciating enough.

Behavioral scientist Jon Levy calls these people "glue players," as he explained to The Wall Street Journal. They're the team members who multiply everyone else's results. They anticipate needs no one asked them to notice. They draw out the quiet voice in the meeting. They lead from behind, letting others shine while making sure the whole thing actually works.

The problem? They're almost impossible to see.

Not because they're hiding. Because they're too busy making sure you get the recognition.

That's the paradox of servant leadership. The people who prioritize raising others' voices tend to have the softest ones themselves. They don't fight for credit because their priority is progress, not attention. Which means most organizations overlook them entirely.

Most of our evaluation systems reward what's obvious, like revenue won, metrics hit and campaigns launched. But who built the trust that made those deals possible? Who defused the tension before the project derailed? Who mentored the new hire until they finally felt like they belonged?

That work doesn't show up on a dashboard.

Not every glue player is a leader. If yours is, you're luckier than you know. A glue player can be the person at your front desk, a field services rep or the janitor. It's a soft skill that can't be trained, but if you're on the receiving end, you know it when you see it and feel it.

In the years since that conversation at Centare, I've thought about that description of my former boss, Jake Scherrer, a lot. Though I know I've failed more times than I've succeeded, I've tried to model his style of leadership in my own roles.

Who's the glue player in your organization? If you know them, thank them. Chances are they'll quickly deflect, but thank them anyway.