Summary3 min read

Becker Business Podcast: "Stacking & Concentrating Talent" (May 30, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this concise episode, host Scott Becker explores a foundational principle for building high-performing organizations: stacking and concentrating talent. Scott shares his philosophy on why concentrating top talent in key business areas is essential for growth and success, using examples from various industries like healthcare, legal, and media. Listeners are offered actionable advice on organizational focus and are cautioned against spreading resources too thin across less critical functions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Importance of Talent Concentration

Core Idea: Businesses thrive when they focus their best people on their most important functions, rather than distributing talent evenly across all roles.
Scott’s Take: "Great companies aren’t built on average talent.” (00:56)

Stacking Talent: What It Means

Definition: Stacking refers to assembling multiple high-performing individuals within crucial areas rather than assigning only one or two people per role.
Examples Across Industries:
- Healthcare: “A great surgery center has a stack of orthopedic surgeons, a whole number of gastroenterologists—whatever it is that they're doing—they don't have one of everything.” (01:15)
- Legal/Media: The same logic applies: elite teams in sales, editorial, or business operations drive results, not spreading a small number of people across too many functions.

Avoiding Organizational Dilution

Pitfall: Spreading talent too thin leads to mediocrity and operational risk.
- Quote: “The worst businesses have one of everything... that's a prescription for disaster.” (01:10)

Focusing on What Matters

Prioritization: Identify and invest heavily in what matters most to your business (e.g., most important service lines, customers, or growth initiatives).
- Quote: “...the big concept is we're going to stack and concentrate our talent around the areas of the most important. So it’s really knowing what’s important to your business and putting your best people on those most important areas.” (01:48)

Outsourcing and Resource Allocation

Recommendation: Outsource or reduce resource allocation to non-core functions to maintain focus and maximize impact where it counts.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Talent Stacking:
“But the disaster is to put them all over the board versus really stacked on the most important areas. That’s the concept for the day. Stacking and concentrating talent.”
— Scott Becker (02:18)
On Organizational Structure:
“Rather, we’d rather have 10 people in every area that’s important and starve the areas that aren’t important or find ways to outsource those.”
— Scott Becker (01:40)

Timestamps for Key Segments

[00:56] — Introduction to stacking and concentrating talent
[01:10] — The danger of “one of everything” in business
[01:15] — Stacking talent in healthcare and other sector examples
[01:48] — Core message: stack talent on high-priority areas
[02:18] — Summary and key takeaway

Takeaway

Scott Becker underscores a vital lesson for business leaders: Focus your best resources on the most important parts of your business. Don’t dilute your talent by trying to cover every function with equal strength. Instead, stack your expertise where it drives the greatest results—and thoughtfully outsource or minimize what’s not mission-critical.

Original Language & Tone Preserved
Scott’s direct and insightful approach gives leaders a sharp, actionable framework for evaluating and concentrating their teams, making this episode a concise yet valuable listen or read for anyone shaping the future of their organization.

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Transcript4 lines

[00:00]
A
When you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters. But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery so you can keep your facility stocked, safe and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
[00:30]
B
Great companies aren't built on average talent. In private equity backed high growth businesses, the right operator changes everything. Onward Headhunting partners with founders, operators and investors to build elite finance strategy and operations teams. From early hires to exit ready leadership, we deliver the talent that drives outcomes. If you are scaling or transacting, go onward visit onward headhunting.com or find us on LinkedIn to learn more.
[00:57]
C
This is Scott Becker with the Becker Business and the Becker Private Equity Podcast. Today's discussion revolves around stacking and concentrating talent. So when I look at businesses, whether it's a surgery center, whether it's a health system, whether it's a legal practice, whether it's a media company, the whole goal is to know what is a business, what you really have to be great at, and then to really stack your talents around those areas. The worst businesses have one of everything. They've got one person in sales, one person in this, one person in that, one person in that whatever it is, whatever the roles are in your own business. Sending in a surgery center, a great surgery center, as a stack of orthopedic surgeons, a whole number of gastroenterologists, a whole number of whatever it is that they're doing, and they don't have one of everything that's a prescription for disaster. Similar with any business. We want to have an amazing group of people on our sales team, an amazing group of people on our editorial team, great people running the business. But we don't want is to have two people in every area that's important. Rather, we'd rather have 10 people in every area that's important and starve the areas that aren't important or find ways to outsource those. But. But the big concept is we're going to stack and concentrate our talent around the areas of the most important. So it's really knowing what's important to your business and putting your best people on those most important areas. Those might be your most important service lines, they might be your most important customers, your most important growth initiatives, but the disaster is to put them all over the board versus really stacked on the most important areas. That's the concept for the day. Stacking and concentrating talent. Thank you for listening to the Becker Business and the Becker Private Equity Podcast. Thank you very, very much.
[02:35]
A
When you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters. But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery so you can keep your facility stocked, safe and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.