Twenty-five years ago, when I was a new coach, one of the first things I did was enrol in a coaching license certificate program. I was excited for this class as it was being taught by master coaches including my all-time favorite, Anson Dorrance. He was the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels women’s soccer program. They were legendary in the soccer world. He had won 14 national championships, led the US women to an Olympic and World Cup gold medal at the inaugural event. I hung onto every word he said like it was gospel truth. 

One of his lessons has stuck with me for over 30 years. He shared a story about young Mia Hamm. If you don’t know who Mia Hamm is, she is considered the GOAT in soccer--not ‘women's soccer’—soccer period. She held every NCAA and professional record out there during her time. During her first year, she was a dominant player for the Tar Heels. She had swagger. She was cocky. She could walk the talk, and her teammates did not embrace her. She wouldn’t fall in line and do the ‘rookie’ things: carry the bags, pump the gas or defer to the veterans on the field of play. She was always challenging the status quo. If there was a free kick in front of the goal, she wanted it instead of deferring to the veteran because she felt she was the best. As you can imagine, this riled up her teammates to no end. They started to ostracize her, to go at her in practice and to gossip about her. They were trying to make her quit even though her contributions would make the team better. Anson stated that the most important thing he did that year was to stand up and have Mia’s back.

In short, it was his job to protect the high performer.

The team didn’t know it, but they needed her. They needed her fire, her competitive edge and her goal scoring output if they wanted to achieve their goals.  

I think this has stuck with me over my time as a leader because so many times I have seen this pattern when I’ve brought in a high performer. These folks are hard to manage. They push me and make us all feel a little uncomfortable, but they make the organization better. In my experience, these are the same folks who have gone on to be NBA coaches, Olympic coaches, World Champion coaches, CEOs, top salesmen, lawyers and other top performers across many sectors. I often wonder what would have happened if I had allowed voices of mediocrity to squelch their fire.

Our job as leaders is to guard against groupthink and find ways to protect the high performer, so that they can elevate the organization.

Groupthink is a phenomenon where individuals within a group prioritize harmony and conformity over critical thinking and innovation. It often leads to stifling dissenting opinions, a reluctance to challenge the status quo and a tendency to overlook potential risks and pitfalls. For high performers, who thrive on creativity, independence and a commitment to excellence, groupthink can be particularly detrimental.

When organizations succumb to groupthink, high performers may find themselves marginalized or stifled and their ideas dismissed or overshadowed by the prevailing consensus. This not only undermines their potential contributions but also diminishes the overall effectiveness and agility of the organization.

Leaders need to educate others on the team about why bringing in high performers that disrupt the status quo is good for the organization and help the team appreciate and accept that there is value in what this person is doing and bringing. I didn’t use the word tolerate here because it’s got to be appreciate for the high performer to thrive and for the team to adopt some of these special skills. 

So how do we protect the high performer from groupthink and the team from mediocrity?

1. Recognition and Appreciation: Celebrate the achievements of high performers and publicly recognize their contributions to the organization. Show appreciation for their hard work, dedication and creativity. I had a leader who would always show up to my initiatives and gave public recognition of my contributions in front of key stakeholders in order to quiet the resistors. This behaviour was an overt endorsement of the plan and motivated me to want to work harder to achieve the goal.

2. Address Negative Behaviours: Be vigilant in identifying and addressing negative behaviours that undermine the contributions of high performers. Encourage constructive feedback and hold individuals accountable for their actions. When people are disruptive or displaying anchoring or dragging behaviours, leaders should be encouraged to move them on from the organization and make sure they have the resources to do so.

3. Create Support Networks: Foster connections and support networks among high performers where they can share experiences, seek advice and collaborate on projects. Create a sense of belonging and camaraderie that empowers them to overcome challenges and thrive. Leaders should assign a mentor who unfailingly has the high performer’s back--an individual who is willing to give wise counsel about what to stay away from and what to pursue. The mentor should be someone who is invested selflessly in the success of the high performer. 

High performers are invaluable assets to any organization, but they are not immune to the negative influences of groupthink and organizational resistance. As leaders, it is our responsibility to protect and empower these individuals, creating environments where excellence can flourish.

As leaders, we’re going to have team members come at us in groups of 2s, 3s or 4s to complain about the high performer. This groupthink mentality will make you believe there is a serious cultural issue.

I encourage you to remember why you recruited and brought your high performer into the organization and how they accelerate achievement of the organization’s goals.

Their job was to challenge the status quo and to bring a diversity of thought and action and experience to the team. Of course, this will ruffle feathers. We are, after all, trying to elevate. As a leader, you must encourage the resisters to see value in the changes you’re sponsoring. And, most importantly, you have to recognize and put an end to toxic defensive behaviours that can take you away from achieving your goals. Let us commit to safeguarding excellence and creating environments where high performers can thrive.