The Foundation for High Performance

Cathie Leimbach • August 10, 2023

Craig Groeschel, author of The Power to Change, emphasizes 3 leadership behaviors which are necessary in developing high performing employees. He believes that the essence of employee and organizational success is for the leader to consistently:


1.     Be clear about what you expect.

2.     Reward it when you see it.

3.     Correct it when you don’t.


Being clear about what you expect includes telling your employees the specific results you want them to produce. It is important for expectations to include quantities, quality, deadlines, and any financial or procedure limitations. “Focus on producing widgets” is very different than “every day produce 20 widgets that meet quality standards with no more than 5% waste”.  


It is important to fully communicate expectations, yet, about 50% of employees say they are not clear what is expected of them at work. Show employees what a quality finished product looks like. Share expectations in writing, state expectations out loud, and ask employees to explain what is expected and why these results are important. 


Rewarding when you see it means acknowledging employees' good work. This requires you to monitor their work so you know if they are meeting expectations. Productivity is higher when each employee receives specific positive feedback on some of the things they are doing well a few times every week, with at least some of this recognition coming from their supervisor. 36% of people who feel they receive the right amount of appreciation are watching for other job opportunities while 57% of those who don’t feel adequately appreciated are watching for job opportunities.  Especially in a tight labor market, rewarding employees for meeting expectations is a critical tool for increasing retention, productivity, and profit.


Correcting when you don’t see it means having a kind conversation with underperformers. Discuss the gap between what they are achieving and what is expected. Ask what they think is causing the gap. Provide more training, a job mentor, or more effective equipment.  If they don’t know they aren’t doing their work correctly they will never improve. In one study, 86% of people would rather receive feedback about something that isn’t right than continue missing the mark. However, only 48% of people would give feedback. This suggests that when managers develop a habit of speaking to employees about performance gaps, employees will welcome the feedback and their work will improve.


What will you start doing in the next week that will enhance your employees’ workplace success?


1.      Be clear about what you expect.

2.     Reward it when you see it.

3.     Correct it when you don’t.

Put Your Brain in Gear When Using AI

By Cathie Leimbach • June 16, 2026
Artificial Intelligence is becoming a powerful workplace tool. It can summarize information, analyze data, draft content, and generate ideas in seconds. But there is a growing risk leaders need to recognize: AI can sound convincing even when it is wrong. In an article by Erica Dhawan, she describes a legal case where attorneys used ChatGPT to help prepare a court filing. The brief looked professional, the reasoning seemed logical, and the citations appeared legitimate. There was only one problem: several of the cited cases did not exist. The AI had fabricated them. The danger wasn't carelessness. It was trust. Because the information was presented clearly, confidently, and professionally, nobody stopped to question it. Psychologists call this the "fluency heuristic"—our tendency to assume information is accurate when it is easy to process and sounds credible. As leaders, we cannot allow polished answers to replace critical thinking. When you find yourself thinking, "This is too good to be true," put your brain in gear. Dig deeper. Investigate. Verify the facts. Ask what assumptions were made, what information might be missing, and what evidence supports the conclusion. AI can be an incredible assistant. It should never become a substitute for judgment. The smooth answer is not always the wrong one—but it is often the one that deserves the most scrutiny. Before You Act, Verify. The biggest risk with AI isn't bad information. It's believable information that's wrong. That's why we created the AI Verification Checklist for Leaders —a simple 5-minute tool designed to help leaders challenge assumptions, identify missing information, verify conclusions, and make better decisions before acting on AI-generated recommendations. Download the free AI Verification Checklist for Leaders and start asking better questions before making important decisions.

If Employees Aren't Growing, Performance Isn't Either

By Cathie Leimbach • June 9, 2026
Most leaders want better performance. They want employees who take ownership, solve problems, adapt to change, and consistently deliver results. Yet Gallup reports that only 31% of employees are engaged at work. That means nearly 7 out of 10 employees are not fully applying their talents, effort, and initiative to their roles. The question leaders should be asking isn't simply: "Why aren't employees performing?" It's: "Are we developing people to perform at their best?" Gallup's latest research suggests many organizations may be falling behind. Nearly 6 in 10 CHROs say employee development is one of the areas where their organization struggles most. At the same time, fewer than half of U.S. employees have participated in training or education to build new skills for their current job. That gap creates risk. As AI, technology, customer expectations, and job responsibilities continue to evolve, employees cannot meet changing expectations with outdated skills. The impact is especially significant among high performers. Gallup found that organizations providing fewer development opportunities are more likely to lose their best people. The good news is that development doesn't require expensive programs or lengthy workshops. It starts with leaders who consistently: • Connect strengths to daily work • Clarify expectations • Provide meaningful feedback • Coach performance • Hold growth-focused conversations  One of the most effective ways leaders can support employee development is through regular 1-on-1 meetings with each direct report. These conversations create opportunities to coach, remove obstacles, align priorities, and discuss growth before problems become bigger issues. For practical ideas, read our resource: 5 Factors in Successful 1-on-1s . Organizations that thrive won't simply expect more from employees. They'll develop people so they can contribute more. Because when employees grow, performance grows with them.