How do you keep a team from undermining or sabotaging a top performer?

<p>When I was in high school and college other students would often shame me for doing well because I was “ruining the curve.” I have similar stories from working production jobs. “Don’t work so fast. You make the rest of us look bad.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Tim Hawkes pointed out that the average performers don’t have any motivation to work harder. It’s much easier to tear someone down.</p> <p> </p> <p>Dr Cole Galloway agreed that the only angle into the problem is from leadership. But that often there is a leadership vacuum. The idea that you can just let people “fight it out” themselves.</p> <p> </p> <p>Tim then suggested that perhaps a common goal for the whole team was the way to go. But I pointed out that people who are happy with “C” level work will sit back and do nothing because they know the people who want an “A” will easily do enough work for the group to get a “C” (Tim rightly pointed out that I have personal history with this problem).</p> <p> </p> <p>Do you think it is about leadership creating a mission that everyone on the team can get behind or do you think that top performers are just always going to have a target on their back from some people?</p> <p> </p> <p>Connect with the panelists: </p> <p>Tim Hawkes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timhawkes/</p> <p>Managing Director of Unlimited Potential. Mental engineer and executive coach focusing on logical and practical solutions to challenging problems.  He is in the UK</p> <p> </p> <p>Dr Cole Galloway: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-galloway-1ba715107/</p> <p>Recovering academic working in social justice and disability, primarily with babies as the Founder at Go Baby Go</p> <p> </p> <p>Dr Robyn Odegaard: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/'>https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynodegaard/</a></p> <p>AKA Mental MacGyver. My doctorate is in organizational business psychology with a concentration in sport and performance. I provide luxury level, high performance support and coaching to executives, founders, celebrities and athletes.</p> <p> </p>