All In

All In Plot Summary

Introduction

Imagine walking into your office on Monday morning and seeing every single team member fully engaged, solving problems without being asked, and treating your business as if it were their own. This isn't a fantasy—it's what happens when you have a team that's truly "all in" for your company. The challenge most leaders face isn't finding talented people; it's creating the conditions where talent thrives and commitment flourishes. When team members feel properly matched to their roles, experience psychological safety, and develop a sense of ownership, something remarkable happens—they begin to care about your business as much as you do. This book reveals the exact formula for creating this environment, backed by real-world examples of leaders who have transformed struggling teams into unstoppable forces that drive business growth while helping team members reach their full potential.

Chapter 1: Foster Psychological Ownership

The ultimate goal for any leader is to build a team that cares as much about the company as you do. But how do you make that happen? The answer lies in fostering psychological ownership—the feeling that something belongs to you, even when it doesn't legally. When employees feel this sense of ownership, they protect, defend, and contribute to the business in extraordinary ways. Jon Pierce, professor emeritus of organization and management at the University of Minnesota Duluth, has extensively studied this phenomenon. His research reveals that psychological ownership emerges when three conditions are met: employees experience control over their work, develop intimate knowledge about it, and invest themselves through time and effort. This creates the powerful feeling that "this is mine" or "this is ours." Steve Bousquet, founder of American Landscape and Lawn Service in Connecticut, witnessed this transformation firsthand. He noticed his crews were constantly breaking expensive wheelbarrow handles, costing the company hundreds of dollars in replacements. His solution was brilliantly simple: he put each crew member's name on their wheelbarrows. Almost overnight, the breaking stopped. The crew started asking for more ownership, from hammers to pitchforks. One employee even went to the trouble of welding a broken pitchfork tine rather than throwing the tool away—something that would have seemed absurd before. As Steve explained, "It was his tool, and he wanted his baby back." This sense of ownership expanded beyond tools to include customer properties. Team members began picking up trash that wasn't theirs and caring for landscapes beyond their specific assignments. The result? Customer complaints plummeted, and productivity soared to $350,000 in revenue per crew member—well above the industry average of $220,000. Their employee retention rate climbed to 90% in an industry known for high turnover. To implement psychological ownership in your organization, start by giving your team members control over aspects of their work. Allow them to make decisions about scheduling, processes, or customer interactions. Then, share "intimate knowledge"—the behind-the-scenes information that only owners typically know, such as financial data or strategic plans. Finally, encourage investment of time and effort by inviting team members to personalize their work spaces, contribute ideas, and develop systems they can call their own. Remember that psychological ownership isn't just about individual tasks—it can extend to the entire organization. When you hear an employee refer to "my company" or "our clients," you'll know you've successfully fostered the psychological ownership that transforms ordinary workers into an unstoppable team.

Chapter 2: Master the Five-Star Fit Process

Finding the right people for your team is much like finding the perfect hotel for your vacation. Just as a five-star luxury resort might be perfect for one traveler but overwhelming for another, the ideal employee for one role might be completely wrong for another position. The Five-Star Fit process ensures you match candidates to roles where they can truly excel. Danielle Mulvey, founder of The Maverick Group, discovered this truth the hard way. She hired Devon, a graphic designer with a fresh degree, primarily because he was the brother of her college friend. Despite his qualifications on paper, Devon was combative with the team and insisted everything be done his way. His poor attitude made Danielle avoid coming to her own office. "I realized when it came to hiring, I was winging it," she admitted. This painful experience led her to develop the Five-Star Fit method, which has since helped her build companies generating over $50 million in annual revenue while spending less than ten hours a week overseeing operations. The Five-Star Fit process starts with the ALL IN Assessment, a 35-minute questionnaire that immediately filters out casual applicants—about 60% don't even complete this step. Those who score at least 70% move to a brief screening interview, followed by a skills demonstration related to the job. Candidates who make it through these phases participate in a Deep Dive Interview focusing on their future goals and dreams. The final step is a paid shadow day at your organization, giving both you and the candidate a real feel for the fit. This methodical approach identifies candidates with three key qualities: they're limber (able to adapt to change), they love to learn, and they listen well. These innate abilities can't be taught but are essential for high performance in any role. When Jule Kucera implemented a similar testing approach at the University of Chicago Medical Center, she found that candidates who performed well in real-world scenarios often differed dramatically from those who simply interviewed well. One year later, all twelve hires were still employed and performing at the highest level—something that had never happened before. To implement the Five-Star Fit in your organization, resist the temptation to rush the hiring process even when you're desperate to fill a position. Calculate your Return on Payroll (ROP) by dividing your total revenue by total wages—a fiscally healthy business has a minimum 3:1 ratio. Then aim to pay 1.25 to 1.5 times the industry average for truly exceptional fits, knowing that one great employee can outperform three average ones. The Five-Star Fit isn't just about finding people with the right qualifications; it's about identifying those with the right potential who genuinely want to be part of your mission. When you master this process, you'll stop kissing frogs and start building your dream team.

Chapter 3: Create a Secure and Accepting Environment

For team members to be fully engaged and perform at their best, they need to feel secure in three critical areas: physical, psychological, and financial. When any of these areas feels threatened, even the most talented employees will pull back, shut down, or seek opportunities elsewhere. Mars, Inc., the maker of popular candies like Snickers and M&M's, learned this lesson the hard way. In 2003, the company implemented a "Punctuality Bonus" program to improve employee timeliness. If employees punched in before their start time, they'd receive an additional 5% of their daily wages. While well-intentioned, the program quickly backfired. Employees didn't see it as a reward for being early; they perceived not getting the bonus as punishment for being on time. This led to people cheating the system, punching in for each other, and even racing through snowstorms to make it on time—including one of the Mars brothers, who abandoned his idling car during a blizzard and ran through snowdrifts to punch in before 8:00 a.m. The initiative failed because it compromised employee safety on all three levels: physical (encouraging reckless behavior), psychological (creating distrust with security guards monitoring the time clock), and financial (the stress of potentially losing income). The company eventually abandoned the program, but employees still felt as though 5% of their pay had been taken away. Rhodes Perry, who worked in the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Bush administration, experienced firsthand how the lack of psychological safety affects performance. As a transgender man working in government before legal protections were in place, he constantly had to censor himself. When asked casual questions like "Did you play sports in high school?" he had to decide whether to lie or risk negative consequences. "I had to brutally extract some of these things to fit in," Rhodes explained. This self-censoring prevented colleagues from knowing "the best parts of who I am." To create a secure environment, start by surveying your team about their physical, psychological, and financial safety using a simple 1-10 scale. Ask follow-up questions about what would help them feel more secure in each area. Then take concrete action on their feedback, such as implementing open-book management—sharing financial information about the company's performance. When Gene Hammett surveyed more than 500 fast-growing companies, he found that transparency was the single most important factor in employee engagement, with 87% of companies citing it as critical to retention and performance. The most powerful way to ensure psychological safety is to demonstrate vulnerability yourself. When you acknowledge mistakes, ask for help, and show your own authentic self, you give your team permission to do the same. Remember that creating a secure environment isn't just kind—it's strategic. Google's extensive Project Aristotle research confirmed that psychological safety is the number one predictor of high-performing teams.

Chapter 4: Establish a Powerful Retention Rhythm

The first time Sankara Shanmugam met his new boss, he didn't know it would change the trajectory of his life. Born in India and newly arrived in the United States, Sankara had no experience in information technology when he applied for an IT position at a computer forensics company. Despite his lack of qualifications, the company owner saw potential in him—he listened intently during the interview, seemed eager to learn, and expressed willingness to do whatever it took. On Sankara's first day, the owner personally introduced him to everyone on the team. They had prepared his workspace with a computer, office supplies, a company coffee mug, and business cards—one of which was framed as a gift, with the entire team signing the matting. "I'll never forget it," Sankara said years later. "I fell in love with the company upon arrival." Though his workspace was less than ideal—a folding table in a hot, noisy server room—Sankara never complained. Instead, he learned everything he could about the business. Over time, his curiosity led him to help the forensic investigators with their technology needs. Seeing his interest, his boss encouraged him to explore this work during regular hours. Sankara quickly became one of the company's best analysts, staying through its acquisition by Robert Half International and becoming a rock star in the industry. When asked what he would do if he won the lottery, he responded without hesitation: "I'd put the money into our company." Not "the company"—"our company." That's the epitome of retention. To create this level of loyalty, implement a Retention Rhythm that starts before an employee's first day. One month before they start, send a welcome kit with all necessary paperwork, clear expectations, and contact information. A week before, have their manager call to express excitement and provide final details. On day one, give them a welcome basket with items related to their personal interests and something for their significant other—the person they'll go home to and answer the question, "How was your first day?" Continue the rhythm with daily huddles—fifteen-minute meetings where the team shares updates, celebrates wins, identifies challenges, and commits to daily priorities. These quick syncs create accountability and connection. Follow up with weekly one-on-ones between each employee and their manager. These thirty-minute conversations should start with "How are you doing?" or "What's on your mind?" before discussing work progress, roadblocks, and areas for growth. Complete the rhythm with quarterly one-day retreats and annual multi-day gatherings. These events provide opportunities for team bonding, strategic planning, and celebration of achievements. Use these occasions to align individual goals with company objectives and to recognize personal milestones. By establishing this Retention Rhythm, you create a system that makes employees feel valued from day one and throughout their tenure with your company. When people feel this level of investment in their growth and happiness, they naturally reciprocate with loyalty and dedication to your company's mission.

Chapter 5: Align Team Dreams with Company Vision

I stood in our small conference room, "Eye of the Tiger" pumping through the speakers, as thirty employees filed in. Today was the day I would announce our ambitious goal: $10 million in revenue for our third year in business. I had spent hours calculating how we could achieve this milestone, and I was certain my team would share my excitement. After everyone settled in, I quieted the room with the classic power move—prayer hands to chest, lower lip bitten softly, meaningful eye contact—and then delivered my big announcement. "We're going to do ten million this year!" I shouted, dramatically revealing the figure I'd written on the whiteboard. Instead of the expected cheers and high-fives, I was met with silence. After an awkwardly long pause, I mumbled something about ending the meeting, and everyone shuffled back to work. Everyone except Patty Zanelli, who stayed behind to deliver a truth bomb: "Mike, when we do ten million, you get the new house and the new car. But what about us? Why should we care? That serves your dream. Not mine. Not theirs." Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I had been so caught up in my own dream that I didn't consider how my team would feel about it. The corporate vision is the owner's dream—but why should employees care as much about achieving that dream as we do? They have their own dreams. Paddy Condon, owner of FBC Remodel, learned this lesson through feedback from his design leader, Lyndsay Bussler, who said, "I'm tired of going back to my team and saying, 'Hey, great job last year. Next year we want you to do 20% more.' I just want to bring the team more joy." This moment transformed Paddy's leadership approach. He created what he calls the Joy Formula: (success + well-being) × purpose = joy. FBC Remodel implemented a scorecard that tracks both business metrics and personal well-being through the "seven Fs": family, friends, fitness, faith, fun, finance, and forward (personal growth). In monthly meetings, they spend 70% of their time focusing on employees' well-being. The results were stunning—despite a pandemic downturn, the company hit $25 million in revenue the following year, exceeding Paddy's original $20 million goal. Their close rates improved, efficiency increased, and profit jumped by 50%. Mary and Tony Miller took a similar approach at Jancoa, their janitorial services business. They created a Dream Engineer program to help employees identify personal dreams and take steps to achieve them. For example, Darryl Mason, who has worked for Jancoa for over forty years, received support to address debt issues, learn budgeting, and eventually buy his own home. When interviewed, Darryl repeatedly referred to Jancoa as "my company" and client offices as "my buildings." The program transformed Jancoa into the industry leader in their market, with remarkable employee retention and 80% of new hires coming from employee referrals. To align your team's dreams with your company vision, start by creating a Dream Tree or vision board where employees can share their personal goals. During quarterly meetings, review progress toward these goals and celebrate achievements by adding leaves to the tree. Encourage team members to support each other's dreams, whether it's switching shifts so someone can take a class or organizing a company-wide "Do It Day" to accomplish personal projects. Remember, as Zig Ziglar famously said, "If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want." When employees feel their individual goals matter as much as the company's goals, they become motivated to see your vision come to fruition.

Chapter 6: Develop a Community-First Culture

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her companions—the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion—form an unstoppable team. Despite their differences, they unify around a shared purpose and support each other's dreams. What's fascinating is that they don't have a set of shared values or a defined culture; what they have is community. They feel connected to something bigger than themselves, and this sense of belonging fortifies them against every challenge they face. As leaders, we often focus on building culture first—drafting company values and enrolling employees in our vision. While values and ideals matter, this top-down approach fails when team members don't feel a sense of belonging. Culture imposed from above can be dogmatic rather than diverse, words rather than action. When we decide corporate values for our team rather than creating a culture that emerges from them, we miss major contributions they could make. Rhodes Perry, author of Belonging at Work, explains this distinction: "Culture is communicated from the top. It's a mandate. Community is morphic." In biology, "morphic" refers to the naturally occurring shape or form of something. Community is the shape of the collective people who work at your company, and it changes as people come and go. At Brian Scudamore's company 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, this principle became clear during a tour of their headquarters. On the wall was the acronym PIPE, standing for Passion, Integrity, Professionalism, and Empathy. When employees were asked about these values, none could remember all four, and some couldn't recall any. Brian was initially embarrassed, but as conversations with team members continued, it became evident they weren't just repeating the values—they were living them in their own words. One employee said, "I just love up on our customers. They are doing amazing things in their lives." Another explained, "Some of our clients are in a bad situation when they call us. This is more than a project; it is a change in someone's life." The values had become so ingrained that employees had made them their own, which is more powerful than memorizing corporate mantras. To build community before culture, focus on helping team members feel they belong. According to research from Coqual (formerly the Center for Talent Innovation), belonging emerges when people feel seen for who they are, connected through authentic relationships, supported in their work, and proud of their association with the organization. Traci Montalvo Timm, who spent twenty-five years as a corporate lawyer in Silicon Valley, experienced the power of belonging when she finally revealed her Latina identity at Looker Data Sciences. After sharing her story with colleagues, other Hispanic employees felt comfortable sharing theirs, and the entire team developed greater empathy and connection. "When people hear the stories of their colleague sitting right next to them, whom they have worked with for five years and never realized their true lived experience—be it race, gender, sexual orientation, religion—it starts to create empathy," Traci explained. Creating community requires vulnerability and storytelling. It means making space for people to share their authentic selves and celebrating the diversity of experiences they bring. When community comes first, culture naturally emerges—one that reflects the whole rather than imposing values from above.

Chapter 7: Adapt to Changing Work Environments

In 2003, two Best Buy employees, Calid Ressler and Jody Thompson, proposed a radical workplace experiment: full autonomy for workers in exchange for full accountability. Their approach, called Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE), allowed employees to work from home anytime without explanation, made all meetings optional, and eliminated fixed schedules. The only requirement was to deliver agreed-upon results by the deadline. The experiment yielded impressive outcomes: employees reported gaining nearly an hour of additional sleep before work days, voluntary turnover dropped by 90%, productivity increased by 41%, and Best Buy experienced its best sustained growth ever between 2003 and 2009. Yet ten years later, a new CEO canceled the program, stating it was "fundamentally flawed from a leadership standpoint" and insisting everyone return to the office. This regression to traditional work environments, even when they're demonstrably less effective, is surprisingly common. Many leaders struggle to adapt to changing workplace dynamics, whether due to comfort with familiar approaches or fear of losing control. When we change work environments to suit our own needs rather than considering our employees' world, we risk turning all-in team members into quiet quitters—or actual quitters—in hours. The challenge is balancing business needs with human connection. As former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy noted, despite increasing technological connectedness, society is seeing rising levels of loneliness—even before the pandemic. More than 50% of CEOs feel lonely in their jobs, and this isolation isn't just bad for health; it's bad for business. Gallup research shows that strong social connections make employees more engaged, produce higher-quality work, and experience fewer illnesses and injuries. Stanford economist Nick Bloom's research with Trip.com offers valuable insights. In their 2021 experiment comparing in-office and hybrid work arrangements, they found that while performance remained similar or slightly better with remote work, the big benefit was that quit rates dropped by a third. Employees reported higher job satisfaction, better work-life balance, and stronger intention to stay with the company. The optimal approach for most organizations is finding the right blend of in-person and remote work. Some tasks, like deep writing or email processing, may be better suited for home offices. Others, like brainstorming or team building, typically benefit from face-to-face interaction. The key is identifying which tasks require which environment and building a structure around individual preferences and organizational needs. One persistent challenge is "presenteeism"—when employees physically show up but are mentally checked out due to illness, exhaustion, or emotional distress. This phenomenon has been glorified in stories like that of Kevin Ford, a Burger King employee who never missed a day of work in 27 years, receiving only a modest goodie bag in recognition. While his dedication seems admirable, we must question the sacrifices made—coming to work sick, missing family events, and never taking time for rest. As Ford himself admitted, "I would love to have a day off to visit friends, have some fun and relax... I can't even think about a day off, I haven't had a day off in so long." As you navigate changing work environments, remember that showing up just to show up doesn't benefit anyone. Instead, focus on creating conditions where your team can do their best work while maintaining the human connections that make work meaningful. Bring remote workers together periodically for in-person connection, use technology to maintain daily communication, and honor the need for both productivity and recovery.

Summary

Building an unstoppable team isn't about finding extraordinary people—it's about creating extraordinary conditions where ordinary people can thrive. The FASO formula—Fit, Ability, Safety, and Ownership—provides the framework for developing teams that care about your business as much as you do. When you match people to roles that leverage their strengths, provide an environment where they feel secure, and foster a sense of psychological ownership, you create the perfect conditions for excellence. As Helen Fuller demonstrated with her compassionate leadership of a young boy from the tenements of New York, great leadership begets great leadership. That boy grew up to be a successful engineer and supportive father who passed those values to his children, creating a cascade effect that changed countless lives. "Great leaders guide others to their greatness," the author reminds us. "All that's required for great leadership is great caring." Starting today, commit to being all in for your team, and they will be all in for you—creating a legacy of impact that extends far beyond your business.

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Mike Michalowicz

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