Over the last 50 years, 167 different people have been part of the Saturday Night Live ensemble cast. Some of them went on to become comedy superstars, others lasted less than a season and are fairly obscure in the cultural pantheon.
But if you were tasked with creating an all-time MVP cast, it would be a mistake to only pick the movie stars.
Like a baseball team or the local non-profit, the group works when it functions as an ensemble, not a collection of individuals striving for the spotlight.
A brilliant and generous ensemble player isn’t someone who tried to be the big star and almost didn’t make it. They’ve chosen a different path and done it with skill.
Phil, Jane and Fred showed up to do a different sort of work. Weaving the fabric of the ensemble is not a runner’s-up prize, it’s the point.
Because most organizations don’t celebrate this role, they rely on simply stumbling around until they find the linchpin who can hold things together.
Two questions to get you started:
- Did the dozen ensemble stars who made a huge difference on SNL do it with intention?
- What is your organization doing to find and train and reward this work?
