Great teams play chess, not checkers.

Could not be more wrong. Adults age INTO 7 AM flights. Whether I’m starting a work trip or vacation, I’m leaving on a plane that came in the night before.

Want to retain top talent? Ask yourself: 1.Am I giving them clarity? 2.Do they have autonomy? 3.Is their work meaningful? High performers don’t need micromanaging. They need leaders who remove friction.

How to spot high performers on your team (before someone else does): Here are 4 questions I ask leaders when they’re trying to find their best people: 1. Who makes everyone else’s job easier? Not just helpful—but high leverage. 2. Whose work becomes the standard? The deck that

Helping someone grow beyond your team isn’t a loss. It’s leadership. When people know you’re fighting for their future, not just for your headcount… They’ll give you everything they’ve got while they’re here.

People want to do work that matters, and work for leaders who let them know they matter.

Once a metric becomes the target, it ceases to be useful as both a metric and a target.

Many managers reward the loudest person in the room. But loud ≠ valuable. Real high performers don’t just speak up. They lift others up. They’re not high output—they’re high leverage. Look for them. They’re easy to miss.

Want to find your highest performer? Ask each team member: “If you were out, who’d you trust with your most critical work?” The name that comes up again and again? That’s your hidden star. Now develop them—before someone else does.

Vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s the first step toward real trust and stronger teams.

Want to keep high performers engaged? ✅ Stretch them ❌ Don’t drown them Align their work with: → Strengths → Strategic goals → Growth potential They’ll give you their best—if you give them your best in return.