Many leaders unintentionally punish top performers with extra work. Here’s how to stop losing your best people and build real accountability.
Stop Punishing Your Top Performers: You’re Driving Them Out the Door.
Say this out loud in a room full of leaders and prepare for the pushback.
I know — I’ve done it.
And the reactions are immediate:
“No way! I reward my top producers every chance I get.”
“Are you kidding? I worship them — they’re my rock stars!”
“I’d never undermine my best people!”
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most leaders don’t intend to penalize their top performers. But many do it anyway — unintentionally — and it’s one of the fastest ways to lose your best talent.
How It Happens
Every organization has a few “underperformers.” You know the type: disinterested, unmotivated, inconsistent, and often more focused on clocking in than contributing. They miss deadlines, drain morale, and resist accountability.
So why are they still employed?
In theory, good leadership means setting expectations, conducting regular performance reviews, and taking action when someone consistently falls short. But too often, those conversations are avoided — especially in high-pressure environments where “getting the work done” takes precedence over addressing the people problems.
So instead of confronting the issue, what happens? The work gets quietly shifted to the people who can handle it: your top performers.
They’re the dependable ones. The problem solvers. The ones who always get it done — no matter what.
And that’s where the trouble starts.
The Leadership Shortcut That Backfires
At first, it seems logical. Tight deadline? Give it to your best person — they’ll do it right.
Client crisis? Send in your top producer — they’ll fix it fast.
But over time, this “shortcut” becomes a habit.
Your best people start shouldering everyone’s load, while the lowest performers coast.
And here’s what that really communicates to your team:
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Top performers get punished with more work.
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Underperformers get rewarded with job security.
That’s a recipe for resentment, burnout, and turnover — especially among your high achievers.
Because while your top talent is carrying the team, they’re watching others get away with doing less.
And eventually, they’ll ask themselves the same question every leader dreads:
“Why am I still here?”
The Psychology Behind It
Neuroscience tells us that rewarded behavior repeats. If an employee does the bare minimum and still gets the same paycheck — that behavior sticks.
If another employee works harder, delivers results, and gets more work instead of recognition — that behavior eventually stops too.
You can’t build a high-performance culture on unequal accountability.
Rewarding mediocrity and overloading excellence are two sides of the same leadership mistake.
The Fix: Accountability and Boundaries
If you want to keep your best people, stop ignoring your weakest ones.
Here’s how strong leaders turn this dynamic around:
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Address performance gaps quickly. Don’t wait until the next review cycle to have a tough conversation.
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Protect your top performers’ energy. They shouldn’t be cleaning up other people’s messes.
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Define rewards and consequences clearly. Results and behavior should both matter — equally.
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Model fairness and transparency. When your team sees accountability in action, trust and motivation grow.
Your best people want to work for leaders who see them, support them, and protect their time and impact.
The Bottom Line
Great leadership isn’t about being nice — it’s about being fair.
When you allow underperformers to stay comfortable, you send a message that excellence doesn’t matter.
When you overburden your best people, you send another message: being great comes with a penalty.
Neither message builds loyalty.
So take a look at your team this week.
Who’s doing too much? Who’s doing too little?
And more importantly — what are you doing about it?
Because if you don’t fix that imbalance, your best people will.
By walking out the door.
If this hit a little close to home, good. That means you care about your people and want to lead better. The truth is, leadership isn’t about titles or tenure — it’s about self-awareness, accountability, and the courage to make changes that protect your culture and your top talent. That’s where I come in. My keynotes and workshops help leaders identify blind spots, rebuild trust, and create environments where the best people want to stay. Because when your top performers thrive, so does your business. Ready to shake up the status quo? Let’s talk about bringing this conversation — and some powerful results — to your next event.
Great teams deserve great leaders. Bring Connie Podesta to your next event and help your managers lead with clarity, accountability, and results.
Book me today — and start turning good leadership into extraordinary performance.
