Why your strongest performer still needs honest feedback
Managers often hold back criticism from their most talented people. That restraint can feel respectful, but it may be the very thing limiting how far they go.
THE QUICK ANSWER
Many managers assume their top performer does not need feedback, so the harder conversations never happen. Pointing out small problems can feel like nitpicking someone who is already carrying the team. The result is that the one habit limiting them keeps repeating. The fix is to give your best person the same direct feedback you would give anyone, aimed higher: not “good job”, but “Here’s the one thing standing between you and the next level.”
GO DEEPER
How holding back caps your best people
When someone is clearly talented, criticism can feel unnecessary or even ungrateful. They deliver, they help others and they make your job easier. Raising a minor issue with that person can feel like finding fault for the sake of it, so many managers decide it is simply not worth saying.
The cost is hidden but real. Strong performers still have blind spots, and those blind spots tend to matter more as their responsibilities grow. If nobody names them, the same limiting behaviour carries on, and the person may stall without ever understanding why their progress has slowed.
The video’s answer is to treat your top performer with the same directness as anyone else, but to aim the feedback at their next step rather than their current role. Replace generic praise with something like “Here’s the one thing standing between you and the next level.” That framing makes the feedback about ambition rather than about failure.
This works best when it is specific and limited to one point at a time. Your best person does not need a list of every imperfection, and the feedback should still sit alongside genuine recognition. Done well, it tells them you are invested in their growth, which is often exactly what high performers want and rarely receive.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Skipping feedback does not protect your best person; it caps them. Tell them the one thing standing between them and the next level.
TEST YOURSELF
