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Covering today
Why strong performance can hide damaging behaviour
When “difficult” is actually valuable
The behaviour vs results conversation
How much freedom high performers should get
When talent stops being worth the cost
You know the person.
They're brilliant at what they do.
Customers love them.
They solve problems nobody else can.
Their numbers are excellent.
But…
They challenge everything.
Ignore processes they disagree with.
Frustrate colleagues.
Push boundaries.
And occasionally make you wonder whether their performance is worth the headache.
The temptation is to choose one of two extremes:
“They're brilliant. Leave them alone.”
Or:
“They're difficult. They need to change.”
Both miss the point.
The real question is:
Is their difficulty making the team better, or making everyone else's job harder?
“Surprise. You're underperforming.”
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DON'T CONFUSE DIFFICULT WITH DAMAGING
Some of your best people should be difficult sometimes.
They challenge bad decisions.
Question inefficient processes.
Refuse to accept “that's how we've always done it.”
Push standards higher.
Tell you things other people won't.
You don't want to manage that out of them.
The problem isn't challenge.
It's how that challenge shows up.
There's a difference between:
“I disagree. Here's why.”
and:
“This is ridiculous. I'm not doing it.”
Between questioning a process and ignoring it.
Between high standards and making colleagues feel inadequate.
Protect the challenge. Address the behaviour.
RESULTS DON'T BUY IMMUNITY
This is where managers get into trouble.
Someone delivers 150% of target, so behaviours that wouldn't be tolerated from anyone else quietly get ignored.
But performance isn't just:
WHAT they deliver.
It's also:
HOW they deliver it.
If one person's exceptional output consistently creates conflict, rework, disengagement or extra management for everyone around them, their real contribution may be lower than it appears.
Your team notices what you tolerate.
And eventually they learn:
“If you perform well enough, the rules don't apply.”
That's a dangerous cultural message.
HAVE THE CONVERSATION
Don't attack their personality.
“You're difficult to work with.”
That's vague and personal.
Talk about observable behaviour and impact.
Try:
Most managers figure this out the hard way. You don't have to.
You're making the calls, having the hard conversations, carrying the weight of the team, on your own, in your head, at 11pm before the next 1:1. It doesn't have to be that way.
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