My son, Sam, is a huge NBA fan. He’s obsessed with SportsCenter and, of course, YouTube videos of amazing dunks, and basically any running commentary or gossip of who’s getting traded, who’s a free agent or who’s unhappy with their team.

You get the drift. 

Sam has been in my ear all summer about the 2019 NBA free agency class. This year, some of the biggest names in the game left their current teams – and teammates – for fresh starts elsewhere.

As a fan, it’s fascinating to watch. Top-tier players are taking on some of the risk of getting to a good, playoff-contending team. Stars like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets), and Kawhi Leonard, who just won a NBA championship in Toronto, recruited Paul George to join him on the Los Angeles Clippers. They’ll be earning the same money (or less) but going to teams betting on them now. 

That’s the new model for talent in the NBA.

Those stars are also betting on the potential of working with each other, and building new teams – together. Brooklyn and LA made compelling cases in recruiting them, too. They’re revitalized organizations where stars can flourish personally and professionally … and win.

It’s a simple concept. Talent seeks talent. People want to work for and with other interesting, smart and talented people. It’s in clear sight … in dynamic places like the NBA, but also in industries like banking, health care and insurance.

Yes, insurance.

It has to do with market realities and efficient uses of capital – human capital. The Global CEO Survey shows today’s companies want people on their teams who can cope with what’s ahead. More than 80% of CEOs want a broader range of skills when hiring than in the past. 

It’s clear, the competition for talent is heating up – especially top tech talent. In insurance alone, we could see 400,000 open positions by 2020. And by 2034, nearly half of the current insurance workforce will retire.

American Family is not unlike the NBA when it comes to talent. Across our enterprise, we’re adapting and changing how we do business. For one, it’s a business imperative. We need to be more agile to meet the changing needs of our customers – to cope with what’s ahead. That means developing, promoting and retaining the great talent we have. And it means we must also attract new people who will help us get there – sometimes people outside our industry – those superstars of the business and tech worlds. They help us grow, but also attract others who are just as talented.

We have the elements to attract more superstars. Our story is compelling. We’ve invested. Adapted. Innovated, Acquired. We revitalized and transformed into a national brand. We have great people doing interesting work here – right now – who can attract even more talent our team.

And let’s not forget, we want to win just as badly as those NBA franchises and superstar players.

We win by delivering for our customers and growing. But we also win by providing best-in-class employee experiences, including compensation, benefits, wellness and more. We need to be a great place for agency owners, too, providing them with tools, products and capabilities to connect with customers in easy and efficient ways.  

This week, I’m attending an event recognizing our top agency owners. Throughout my career, I’ve seen really good agency owners be deliberate about teaming up with other really good agency owners to collaborate and push one another to be more successful. And it works.

Talent seeks talent.

For our agency owners, having access to other talented agency owners is largely as critical as the tools, products and capabilities that allow them to do their jobs efficiently.  

In my mind, diversity is the piece that ties talent together. It enables us to attract and retain customers, while also ensuring we account for the voices and needs of all our current and future customers.