What Happens When Your Top Performers Don’t Share and Play Well With Others?

The top performers in a workforce are typically a breed apart. They’re relentless learners, intrinsically motivated, and focused on achieving their very high standards – and then raising the bar.

Doubtless, you know who these high performers are in your workplace. And while you certainly appreciate their skill and the results they produce, there may be things you’re less enthusiastic about.

That’s because some top performers – especially those who are highly skilled and have a specialized knowledge base that can take many years to cultivate – don’t always share and play well with others.

Or, in more grown-up terms, they’re often not great at interacting with or leading colleagues.

Frankly, this doesn’t have to be a problem – not when your top performers are fine doing their own thing.

But what happens when you ask them to leave their high performance island and join the group? What happens when these virtuosos are suddenly asked to join the rest of the orchestra and play in harmony?

Unfortunately, the result can be anything but an encore performance.

Instead of cohesion, there’s friction. Instead of working together, there’s conflict. And instead of mentoring and support, there’s bullying and intimidation.

And that’s the crux: what do you do when your top performer(s) are too valuable to let go, but too toxic to keep?