The Trick to High 'n' Low Performers

It was late on a cold Autumn evening and I got a call from one of my oldest dearest clients. I picked up.

We got talking and she was toiling over a deeply difficult few weeks with one of her senior team members. The problem wasn't that they were under performing. The problem was they were over performing.

It seems like a weird thing to be struggling with, but it is more common than we think. Over performers (aka. Overs) come with a few difficulties:

1. They are Threatening. Law 1 of Robert Green's 48 Laws of Power is to Never Outshine The Master. There is a reason it is number one, and it is not heeded by the talented and ambitious. Most leaders are promoted to a leadership position off the back of technical performance brilliance in their field of expertise. When version 2.0 comes along it stirs the innate Imposter Syndrome sitting slightly beneath the surface of a leader's being. The feeling of being threatened is real and common.

2. They are Demanding. Kylian Mbappe is a very talented French football player. In 2017 he signed a €9M deal to join Paris St Germain (PSG) from Monaco as a hot prospect. He did well and with a year to go on his contract he asked for a €36-40M gross wage/year, which they rejected but end up signing his next contract in 2022 at approximately €300M over three years (plus a signing bonus of €100M+ upfront). He was also promised input on transfers, club decisions, and tactics. In 2023 Mbappe holds the club to ransom threatening to leave asking for higher bonuses and further salary even if he leaves! He then left for Real Madrid in 2024. No matter how you try to placate the talented, they tend to want more money, power, and influence. Learn more about the Incredibly high performing business of Kylian Mbappe - The Athletic

3. They are Aggressive. What happens when you put a bunch of elite performers in the same team? They compete instead of collaborate, and kill each other off. This is the literal finding of the famous Super Chickens Experiment. The cost to assemble a team of the best is high, and they often lack the ability to bring the best out in others nor do they tend to last. This is not to say all high performers have a killer instinct that is harmful, but we need to consider their intention and impact on group performance. In a world where 'win at all costs' permeates most business cultures, we can often unwittingly incentivise this behaviour. I have found this to be more common than people realise.

It was now dark outside and we had been on the phone for a good half an hour. All of the above were referenced. It made me think, is this worse than under performers? And, then I thought, no - its the same trap wrapped in different clothes.

Under performers (aka. Unders) are draining leaders worldwide. They are either needing constant attention, constant clean up, or constant Professional Development Plans (and the stream of associated meetings). They can be distracting, dissenting, and even disrupting leading to what many anthropologists call Cultural Erosion. This ain't no picnic either.

The reality of leading Overs and Unders. Leaders can hook into the similarities making it simpler and easier to manage through the drama.

So, I asked myself, which is worse? But, when I dug into it I realised this is the wrong question. The better questions is, what do they have in common? If we can understand this then a leader can apply the same solutions no matter what the performance level. I realised there are a few commonalities...

1. They are Self-Centred. Me me me me me! We don't mean to think like this but it is baked into our survival instincts. We are all more concerned about our own needs and feelings, but in the Overs and Unders, this instinct is on steroids. Overs have a lot to lose (status, opportunity, money, choice), while Unders tell themselves they have lost it all (there is no hope, there is no possibility, there is no light). This all leads to the worry and concern for self and self preservation.

2. They are Fixed. The Karpman Drama Triangle states the Rescuer, Prosecutor, and the Victim as the main archetypes. The Rescuer is the big ego in the room that knows it all and puts on a face of perfectionism. The Prosecutor unleashes venom and judgement on all around them. The victim lies in despair and asks to be saved, rescued, abstained from responsibility. Do not be fooled, Overs and Unders can take up any of the three archetypes (you've got to have a razor sharp eye). But, all of them are below the line, or in Carol Dweck's language have a Fixed Mindset. They struggle to see other options, different perspectives, and a wider context for growth and progress.

3. They are Disengaged. The Overs tend to be ambitious and are either bored or getting ahead of themselves. The Unders are in a state of constant anxiety or worry (lets face it, its terrible to feel you are failing all the time). For different reasons they are focused on self, and are not focused on the collective goal, the purpose of the work, or the impact they are having (and can have) on the people around them. They need some kind of guidance, instruction, and framework to help them re-engage with the work everyone is there to do.

4. They need Support. This is where a strong leader comes in - the person to get them 'above the line' or into a Growth Mindset. This is where the game is tough and simple all at the same time. The tough bit is the preparation, energy, and clarity required to shepard these people to an engaged and productive state. The simple bit is they both need the same thing - coaching, direction, and a clear path to follow towards a better place.

There will always be individual quirks, personalities, and contexts. For my client, we mapped out a strong idea of what her support looked like and it was time for me to get out of the office. For someone in sales it may be a totally different approach. And, for someone leading a frontline team it will be different again. But, the principles remain the same. And, the consistency as a leader is a real weapon as it simplifies one's process and sends a clear message to the entire team (and world) that you won't be pulled into games, exceptions, or favouritism. Leaders of true progress understand they are doing more than just getting today's results. They understand they are building a culture, and that Overs and Unders will come and go, but they will never be allowed to derail the progress of the team.

Note: PSG performed very well with Mbappe winning the French top league. But, after he left they had a historic unbeaten season and all their major performance indicators increased.