Why Your Best People Keep Waiting for You to Save the Day
There is a moment that happens in almost every operational business, usually without anyone noticing it happen. A high-stakes deal is on the
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Topic guide · 79 articles
Team Performance
Practical strategies for building high-performing teams. Reduce escalations, improve decision-making, and create teams that execute without constant oversight.
From reducing meeting overload to building peer accountability, these articles give you frameworks your team can apply this week — not next quarter.
Practical team performance strategies for managers and senior leaders who want their teams to execute without constant oversight. These frameworks help you reduce escalations, lift accountability, and turn a busy team into a high performing one.
The Trust Problem You Built Without Realising
Everything lands on your desk. Decisions that should have been made two levels below. Escalations from managers who are capable but keep che
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Your Management Layer Is Floating
Your managers are working flat out. Long hours, full meetings, constant emails. And yet the numbers are not where they should be, strategic
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The Discipline Nobody Talks About
Your management layer had a strong quarter. Reviews were happening. Decisions were moving. Escalations were down. Then slowly, without anyon
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Why Your Last Restructure Did Not Work
Performance is short. The leadership team cannot pinpoint why. So the org chart gets redesigned. It feels decisive. It is announceable. And
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Same Headcount, Better Numbers
When performance is short, the instinct is to reach for headcount or a restructure. Both are expensive, both take months, and both assume yo
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The Trust Check: Why Silence is the Loudest Warning Sign
Your managers look aligned. Meetings are civil. Nobody is openly kicking off. And yet escalations keep climbing, decisions get revisited, an
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Your Managers Do Not Need More Coaching. They Need Better Access to It.
Here is what I see inside organisations every month. You invest in leadership development. You run workshops. You bring in external facilit
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How to Build Manager Capability When You Do Not Control the Budget
This is one of the most common situations I see in HR and OD teams.
Read article →How to Pick Which Managers to Develop First for Real ROI
Most leadership budgets are tighter than they used to be. That’s not a bad thing. It forces a decision that a lot of organisations avoid: St
Read article →How to Buy Manager Development That Changes Your Numbers
If you want leadership to move the business this quarter, you cannot buy leadership development like an annual event.
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How to Get Buy-In When Everyone Has Competing Priorities
How to get voluntary commitment when your project isn't their top priority
Read article →The One Leadership Lesson Most Senior Leaders Learn Too Late
An Amazon executive once shared that he receives 1,500 to 2,000 emails every single day. Out of all those messages, only 15 to 20 are genuin
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Why Telling a Manager to Be More Strategic Changes Nothing
Every month, thousands of performance reviews include the same vague feedback: "You need to step up" or "Be more strategic."
Read article →How Multitasking Is Quietly Killing Your Team's Output
Your leaders think they're being productive. They're juggling five projects, responding to emails during meetings, and switching between tas
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How Your Energy as a Leader Shapes Every Result Your Team Gets
Your leadership impact isn't just about what you say or do. It's about the energy you bring into every room, every meeting, every decision.
Read article →How a Wrong Turn in the Grand Canyon Changed How I Make Decisions
Standing in the depths of the Grand Canyon as the sun set, I faced a problem that would later define how I think about leadership decisions.
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How Your Best Problem Solvers Become Your Biggest Bottleneck
Why 73% of new managers fail to transition from tactical to strategic thinking — and the counterintuitive solution that breaks the cycle
Read article →Why Your Top Performers Are Slowing the Rest of the Team Down
Controversial truth: your top performers are often your biggest constraint. Not because they are underperforming. Because they are overcompe
Read article →How to Tell If Your Team Is Doing Busy Work or Breakthrough Work
When I coach managers of managers, I see the same pattern. Diaries full. Meetings that update but do not decide. Teams busy, yet the results
Read article →Five Small Shifts That Keep Paying Off for Managers of Managers
These five amplifying shifts keep surfacing in Amplify cohorts. Different industries, same patterns. They look small. They work because they
Read article →Why Working Harder and Longer Has Stopped Producing Results
When I was a young Army officer, I trained by running as fast and as far as I could until I dropped. I wore the pain like a badge. It worked
Read article →Why Your Management Playbook Is Outdated and What Replaces It
My most valuable leadership lesson wasn't learned in a classroom. It was learned with the bite of an enormous backpack digging into my shoul
Read article →Why the Right Management Team Beats the Right Strategy Every Time
When you step up from managing individual contributors to managing managers, everything you thought you knew about leadership gets turned up
Read article →How Burnout Is Costing Your Business More Than You Think
Why 90% of leaders are drowning in their own success – and the military-tested solution that saves companies millions
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How to Spot When Your Leaders Are Optimising for Headlines Not Results
Walk into any leadership team meeting and you'll witness it: leaders who've mastered the art of looking busy while accomplishing little.
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Why Reading About Leadership Will Not Make You a Better Leader
We've all met them. The leader who has read every leadership book on the shelf.
Read article →Three Leadership Lessons That Future-Proof Your Management Layer
Glaciers, Dumbledore and the wrong paint choice — 3 essential leadership tips for the future.
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Why Reflection Gives Leaders Under Pressure a Sharper Edge
This week I have been creating the opportunity for leaders to make some space for reflection.
Read article →Why Building an Inclusive Team Takes Longer Than You Want
Ian Treloar is a long time friend and former colleague of mine who, for all the time I have known him, has been trying to grow truffles.
Read article →How to Lead with Empathy Without Losing Your Authority
Empathy enables you to know if the people you’re trying to reach are actually reached. Without empathy, you can’t build a team or nurture a
Read article →How Asking One Question Gets More from Your Team Than Telling Them How
As hybrid work becomes the norm for many companies, your team members are not the same people who headed home during the first lockdown.
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How Your Behaviour Leaves a Wake That Shapes Team Culture
I had several people reach out to me on my latest IG posts on @jimmybleadership this week related to my Bow and Wake post so I thought I wou
Read article →How to Stop Your Team Going Stale After a Good Quarter
The road to high performance is paved with the golden bricks of experience and learning lessons.
Read article →How Four Hidden Tensions Are Blocking Your Team's Performance
Leadership is hard because it’s a game of tensions:
Read article →How to Run Leadership Conversations That Change What Happens Next
Picture the scenario. I’m running a “Ways of Working” session with the leadership team of a large Asian electronics company
Read article →How a Four Step 1:1 Format Transforms Your Weekly Check-Ins
When I talk to leaders at the start of Ways of Working Sponsor Sessions, I often ask how they conduct their 1:1s and how they support their
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How to Delegate Without Losing Control or Creating More Work
There we were in a workshop, talking about how to hand over tasks effectively, to free up energy and time to focus on more important things.
Read article →Why Tough Conversations Go Wrong and How to Fix That
In the Ways of Working program, one of the modules we talk about is Tough Conversations.
Read article →What Five Years of Running a Business Taught Me About Managing People
Have you ever grown anything? A plant? A child? A business?
Read article →How to Avoid the Development Mistake That Wastes Time and Budget
As we move to an age of digitized learning, it has become apparent that a lot of companies are going to focus on providers who offer app-bas
Read article →How Defining Your Leadership Brand Cuts Decision Fatigue
Do you have a leadership brand? Do you know what one is?
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How Trust Between Your Managers Speeds Up Everything
Imagine being in the Board Room, talking about the commercial upside of being a leader who builds trust.
Read article →How a Clear Team Purpose Protects Against Burnout
“It doesn’t matter how hard I work, I just don’t seem to be making a difference.
Read article →How Building Connection Reduces Burnout and Lifts Engagement
Do you remember when you were younger, and the feeling of trepidation as you walked in the front door of a new school or club?
Read article →How the Right Kind of Connection Keeps Your Team Engaged
Last week we started discussing the idea of connection – in particular the idea of connecting new starters to the business, their peers, and
Read article →How Leaders Accidentally Exploit Their Team's Willingness
This blog was one I thought long and hard about how to write. Then I thought, if it feels uncomfortable for me
Read article →Why You Are the Reason You Never Switch Off and How to Fix It
For the last 10 weeks, we have taken you on a journey through the 5 factors which prevent burnout.
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Why AI Cannot Replace Your Purpose as a Leader
AI can write the report and model the forecast. It cannot supply the purpose, judgement and trust your managers lead with. Here is why that
Read article →Podcasts and media on team performance
PodcastThe High Performance Leader
Episode 53: The CARE Trust Model: Building Deep Trust Like Scuba Diving
In this episode, host Jimmy Burroughes introduces a practical framework for understanding and building trust in leadership relationships. Us
Listen to episode →PodcastThe High Performance Leader
How managers get recognised for team impact not tasks
Struggling to get recognised as a manager? Learn how to shift from task reporting to value creation and boost your promotion prospects.
Listen to episode →PodcastThe High Performance Leader
Why Managers Who Multitask Risk Lower Team Performance
Multitasking reduces manager productivity and team results. Learn how monotasking boosts output and well being for operational leaders.
Listen to episode →PodcastThe High Performance Leader
How managers boost productivity with ADHD team members
Managing ADHD talent at work can be challenging. Learn strategies managers can use to boost productivity and create an inclusive team enviro
Listen to episode →PodcastThe High Performance Leader
How managers embed purpose into culture transformation
Struggling with culture change as a manager? Discover proven strategies to embed lasting purpose and performance in your team from Kiwi Bank
Listen to episode →PodcastThe High Performance Leader
Why Do Managers Struggle to Turn Knowledge Into Action
Managers know what to do, yet teams get stuck. Discover why action lags behind knowledge and how to close this gap for better results.
Listen to episode →Questions leaders ask about team performance
How do I improve my team's performance without micromanaging?
Set clear outcomes rather than dictating tasks, then hold people to the result and let them own the how. The friction that drags performance down is usually unclear ownership, not lack of effort, so define who decides what and remove the need to check with you on everything.
Why does my team keep escalating decisions to me?
People escalate when the boundaries of their authority are vague or when they have learned that bringing you the problem is safer than owning it. Agree explicit decision rights for each role and, when someone escalates, coach them to a decision instead of taking it off their plate.
What is the fastest way to lift a underperforming team?
Start by removing the biggest source of friction, whether that is meeting overload, unclear priorities, or a broken handoff between two functions. One well chosen fix usually releases more capacity than any motivational push.
How do I measure team performance beyond output?
Track leading indicators such as decision speed, escalation volume, and how much rework happens after handoffs, not just delivery numbers. These show you whether the team is genuinely getting stronger or just working harder.
How do I build a high performing team culture that lasts?
Make the standards visible, reinforce them in every meeting, and let peer accountability carry the weight rather than relying on you to police behaviour. Culture sticks when the team owns it, not when it depends on the manager being in the room.
Explore More Topics
Culture Change (46)For Senior Leaders (41)Communication (38)Employee Retention (37)Remote Leadership (36)Work-Life Balance (33)Coaching Skills (30)Building Trust (27)Decision Making (25)Accountability (25)Delegation Skills (24)Having Hard Conversations (22)Leadership (19)Change Management (11)For New Managers (8)Emotional Intelligence (8)Dealing with Burnout (5)Management (4)For HR Leaders (4)Gen Z Workforce (4)Running Better Meetings (3)Managing Difficult People (3)
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170+ articles on leadership, friction removal, and team performance.
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