Grow Your People

Top performers rarely quit because of hard work.

They leave because of how their effort is handled.

Too often, managers confuse “capability”
with “capacity”, and pile on without balance.

The better someone does,
the more invisible their needs become.

That’s how you burn out your best people.
And I’ve seen it happen far too often.

Here’s what I’ve noticed:

(and what we should do differently)

1) Expecting them to always “figure it out” alone
↳ Instead: Offer coaching, not just challenges

2) Relying on them to absorb every crisis
↳ Instead: Build systems so fires don’t spread

3) Giving them stretch goals with no stretch support
↳ Instead: Pair growth with resources and trust

4) Assuming resilience means endless stamina
↳ Instead: Normalize rest and recovery as strategy

5) Forgetting their achievements after the dust settles
↳ Instead: Make recognition part of the rhythm

6) Treating their calm silence as consent
↳ Instead: Ask deeper questions—and actually listen

7) Using their dedication as a shortcut for weak planning
↳ Instead: Design smarter workflows, not heroic rescues

8) Acting as if loyalty means limitless sacrifice
↳ Instead: Protect their boundaries like they’re your own

Performance burnout is rarely intentional,
but it’s dangerously common.

If you want to retain top talent,
honor the humans behind the results.