Newsflash: Your Superstars Are Not Your Trainers

Here’s a little something I’ve learned over the years. Are you ready?

You might want to sit down for this one.

Just because someone is good at doing a job doesn't mean they'll be good at teaching it.

In fact, nine times out of ten, your superstar employee is the worst person to train someone new.

I can already hear some of you: “But John, they’re the best one we’ve got!”

Yes, they are. That’s exactly the problem.

Let me explain.

Roses, Daisies, and Weeds

In every team, you’ve got three kinds of people. You’ve got your roses, your daisies, and your weeds.

1. Roses. These are your rockstars. They’re fast, they’re confident, they make you look good.

2. Daisies. These are the dependable, steady performers you count on. Sure, they might not be flashy, but they are rock solid.

3. Weeds. Ah, yes, the weeds. Well, the weeds have potential, but they’re growing in the wrong direction.

Now, when there is training to be done, which one do you pick?

Most leaders pick the roses to do their training because they think: “If they’re good at the job, they must be good at showing others how to do it.”

Rookie mistake. Training an individual is an entirely different game. And let’s take it from someone who was the all-time great at his game—Wayne Gretzky.

Let me hit you with some hockey wisdom.

Wayne Gretzky was asked how coaching was going after coming off the ice his first day.

You know what he said? “I have to have a lot more patience with these guys. They don’t pick up on things as quickly as I did.”

Bingo. He said the quiet part out loud. He admitted he expected everyone to learn like he did.

And that’s exactly why superstar employees often make terrible trainers — because they lack patience. They expect others to “just get it” the way they did.

News flash: Not everyone is you.

Daisies Win the Training Game

Daisies? They remember what it was like to not know the job.

They know what it’s like to struggle, to ask dumb questions, to need things repeated sometimes three or four times.

They empathize. They anticipate confusion. They slow down. They explain the why, not just the what. They’re not trying to impress the trainee with fancy jargon. They just want to help someone else succeed.

And most importantly?

They don’t make the trainee feel dumb.

Now, before you throw your roses under the bus, let me say this: Some superstars make great trainers. But that’s the exception, not the rule.

Quit Picking the Flashy Ones

Here’s the guilt trip:

If you keep assigning training to your superstar without giving them any tools, support, or coaching, that’s on you.

You’re choosing convenience over effectiveness, and you’re offloading responsibility instead of leading.

Would you hand your car keys to someone just because they watched you drive once? No?

Then why are you handing off your brand-new employee to someone just because they’re good at doing, not teaching?

You Can’t Complain If You Don’t Intervene

You can’t complain about poor training if you never taught your trainers how to train.

You made that choice. You promoted that rose, handed them the new hire, and walked away without checking in.

Training is a skill. It can be taught. And sometimes, your best bet isn’t the loudest bloom in the garden. It’s the humble daisy growing strong and steady right under your nose. Choose wisely.

Ready to learn how to implement these strategies?

Connect with John for training solutions tailored specifically to your team.