Why Leaders Must Coach Their High Performers

Why Leaders Must Coach Their High Performers

By Mark Wager

Walk into any workplace and ask a leader who takes up most of their time, and you’ll likely hear the same answer: it’s the underperformers. The individuals who miss deadlines, resist feedback, or struggle to meet expectations tend to demand the most attention. Meetings are held, plans are made, development pathways are drawn, and time is invested—all in the hope that performance will improve.

Now ask that same leader when they last sat down with their top performers—the ones who deliver consistently, go the extra mile, and seem to raise the standard for everyone around them. Often, the response is a pause, followed by a sheepish admission: “It’s been a while.”

This is one of the great paradoxes of leadership. The people who contribute the most, challenge the least, and create the greatest impact are frequently the most neglected when it comes to coaching and development. And yet, these are the very people who are most likely to deliver disproportionate results when invested in properly. They’re not just doing the job—they’re shaping the future of the team.

So why does this happen, and what can be done about it?

The Cost of Focusing Only on the Strugglers

There’s a well-intentioned but flawed belief that leadership is about fixing problems. This belief often leads to disproportionate energy being spent on those who are underperforming. While poor performance must be addressed, a culture of firefighting creates a leadership blind spot—the assumption that if someone is doing well, they don’t need you.

But high performers do need you—just not in the same way. If they feel overlooked, they won’t complain. They’ll simply become disengaged, seek challenges elsewhere, or—worse—coast along quietly, their potential untapped. In high-pressure environments, the biggest losses are not always loud exits or dramatic failures. Sometimes, it’s the quiet resignation of a great performer deciding to give their best elsewhere.

What many leaders fail to realise is that high performers want to grow. They crave mastery. They don’t want praise for yesterday’s success—they want challenge for tomorrow’s potential. If you don’t offer that, someone else will.

Redefining What Coaching Means

Too often, coaching is seen as remedial—a tool used to ‘fix’ something broken. But for high performers, coaching should be expansive. It’s not about bringing someone up to standard; it’s about breaking the standard and setting a new one.

Effective coaching for high performers focuses on growth, impact, and legacy. It’s about unlocking potential that hasn’t yet been explored. These individuals don’t need motivation; they need direction. They don’t need hand-holding; they need sparring. And they certainly don’t want to be left to stagnate while your time is spent chasing the lowest common denominator.

Spotting the Quiet High Performer

Not all high performers are vocal or charismatic. Some don’t naturally put themselves forward. They don’t demand attention because they’re too busy delivering results. But make no mistake—these quiet achievers are often the bedrock of your team.

Start by reviewing your team’s recent successes. Who contributed the most? Who consistently delivers, even under pressure? Who do others rely on when the stakes are high? These are your high performers, whether they shout about it or not.

The danger is that their competence becomes invisible. Like a well-functioning engine, they’re easy to overlook when everything’s running smoothly. But every engine needs maintenance. Don’t wait for a breakdown to realise their value.

What High Performers Need From You

High performers aren’t a monolith, but there are some consistent themes in what they need from their leaders:

1. Challenge, not comfort:

They’ve outgrown basic tasks. Give them stretch assignments—projects that expand their skills or place them in unfamiliar territory. This doesn’t mean piling on more work. It means giving them work that matters—work that tests their thinking, not just their stamina.

2. Autonomy with alignment:

They don’t want to be micromanaged, but they do want to know that their efforts align with a larger purpose. Share the vision. Let them see the bigger picture. Then step back and let them lead.

3. Honest feedback:

High performers often get vague praise—“Great job,” “Keep it up”—but that doesn’t help them grow. They need specific, developmental feedback. What could they have done even better? Where can they stretch further? Be the leader who tells them the truth—not just the nice version of it.

4. Recognition that feels earned:

Public praise is nice, but high performers tend to value authentic, earned recognition over generic compliments. A quiet one-on-one conversation acknowledging their unique impact often means more than a round of applause.

5. A path forward:

Perhaps most importantly, they want to know that their future is being considered. Is there a plan for their development? Do you see them leading others one day? If they feel there’s nowhere to go, they’ll go elsewhere.

Coaching Conversations That Matter

When coaching high performers, ditch the generic check-ins. Make the conversation count. Here are a few prompts that open doors to powerful dialogue:

• “What challenges you most about your current role?”
• “Where do you feel underutilised?”
• “If you had full freedom, what project would you start?”
• “What skills do you want to develop over the next 6-12 months?”
• “What would make your work even more meaningful?”

These conversations aren’t about fixing—they’re about elevating. And more often than not, they reveal insight that can shape not only the individual’s trajectory but the future of the team as a whole.

The Hidden Leadership Test

Here’s a truth many leaders overlook: your high performers are quietly evaluating you. They’re asking themselves, “Does this leader challenge me? Value me? Invest in me?” And if the answer is no, they won’t always tell you. They’ll simply stop bringing their best, or worse—start planning their exit.

One of the ultimate tests of your leadership is not how you manage the weakest members of your team, but how you develop the strongest. If the best people under your guidance don’t get better, then something needs to change.

Ask yourself: who in your team has already plateaued not because they’ve reached their limit, but because you’ve stopped stretching them?

A Word of Caution: Don’t Create an Elite Class

While it’s important to coach your high performers, it’s equally important not to create a divide. Coaching your best doesn’t mean ignoring the rest. It means shifting your mindset from fixing to optimising. Every team member deserves development—but not every development plan should look the same.

Think of it this way: coaching should be a ladder, not a life raft. Everyone’s on it, but some are ready for higher rungs. Your role is to help each person climb—not to spend all your time dragging people up from the bottom while those at the top are left hanging.

Investing Where It Matters Most

In elite sports, the best coaches don’t just focus on the weakest link. They spend significant time with their top talent—because they know that the person most likely to win them the game is already performing at a high level. They don’t assume that talent manages itself. They nurture it, challenge it, and protect it.

The same principle applies in business. If your best people aren’t growing, then your team isn’t truly progressing. Your greatest asset isn’t just your product, your process, or your strategy—it’s your people. And the ones driving the most value deserve more than just gratitude. They deserve your best leadership.

Greatness Needs a Partner

There’s a quiet truth behind every high performer: no matter how capable they appear, they still need a leader. Not to rescue them. Not to fix them. But to grow with them.

Leadership isn’t just about elevating the struggling. It’s about unlocking the extraordinary in those who already shine.

So today, take a moment. Look beyond the loud problems. Find your quiet stars. And ask yourself: when was the last time I truly coached them?

Because if you want greatness to last—it needs a partner. And that partner is you.