Why ‘Expect a Lot, Care a Lot’ sets the top 10% of leaders apart—and why its a learnable skill I recently met with 300 leaders at one of the country’s top-performing transit authorities. I asked them to raise their hands if they’d ever worked for a leader who truly cared about them. Nearly every hand rose. The room lit up with warmth, as people recalled a boss who’d looked after them. Then I asked: on that team, how many of you were pushed to truly exceptional results? Lots of hands dropped. Then I turned the question around: Who has worked for a leader who drove performance like no other? Hands shot up. And how many of you felt valued and understood as a member of that team? Many hands fell.
Only 7% of leaders get this right—and their teams outperform everyone else
Why This Matters
This article highlights that only a small percentage of leaders effectively combine high expectations with genuine care, setting top-performing teams apart. For the tech industry, adopting this leadership approach can lead to enhanced team performance and employee satisfaction, ultimately driving innovation and success. Recognizing and developing this skill is crucial for cultivating resilient, motivated, and high-achieving teams in a competitive landscape.
Key Takeaways
- Top 10% of leaders balance high expectations with genuine care.
- Effective leadership correlates with higher team performance and engagement.
- This leadership skill is learnable and essential for organizational success.
Explore topics:
leadership
team performance
transit authorities
employee engagement
top-performing teams
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