You know, I was thinking about the people I’ve worked with over the years. Not clients. Team members. Contractors. Collaborators. The people in the trenches with you.
After enough time, you start to see patterns. I’ve landed on four categories, and because I’m a filmmaker and not a management consultant, I named them after celestial objects.
Supernovas. These are your absolute best people. Brilliant, passionate, on fire. They show up and change the temperature of the room. The problem with Supernovas is that they burn out. Fast. They give everything, hold nothing back, and one day they either flame out or move on to something bigger. You can’t keep a Supernova forever. You just try to be worthy of the time you get.
Stars. Stars are your steady producers. They’re not as flashy as Supernovas, but they show up every day and they deliver. They don’t need to be managed. They don’t need praise every five minutes. They just do the work, consistently, at a high level. Stars are the backbone. If you have three Stars on your team, you have a business. If you have zero, you have a hobby.
Gas Giants. Gas Giants are big. They take up space. They look impressive from a distance. But when you get close, there’s nothing solid to land on. You’ve worked with this person. Great in meetings. Great on calls. Looks phenomenal on paper. But when it’s time to deliver? Vapor. All gas, no ground. Gas Giants are hard to identify early because they present so well. You usually figure it out about 90 days in, when you realize all the promises are still promises.
Black Holes. Run. A Black Hole doesn’t just fail to produce. A Black Hole actively pulls energy, morale, and productivity out of everyone around them. They’re the person who always has a reason it won’t work. The person who drains a meeting by existing in it. The person other people start avoiding, which means your Stars and Supernovas are now spending energy navigating around the Black Hole instead of doing their actual jobs. Black Holes are the most expensive people on your team, and the cost doesn’t show up on a balance sheet.
Here’s what I’ve learned. Most teams have one of each, and most leaders spend 80% of their time on the Black Hole and the Gas Giant. That’s backwards. Your Supernovas need you to clear the runway. Your Stars need you to leave them alone and say thank you once in a while. Your Gas Giants need a deadline and a deliverable. And your Black Holes need to go.
The hardest part is that Black Holes are often likable. They’re funny, or they’ve been around forever, or they’re someone’s friend. But every day you keep a Black Hole is a day you’re telling your Stars and Supernovas that their work matters less than your discomfort with a hard conversation.
I’ve had all four on my teams. I’ve been more than one of them at different points in my career. The categories aren’t permanent. A Star can become a Supernova with the right project. A Gas Giant can solidify if you give them real accountability. But a Black Hole? In my experience, a Black Hole stays a Black Hole.
Name your people. Act accordingly.
Heritage Films produces personal documentary films across the United States. We only work with Stars and Supernovas. Life’s too short for vapor.