Dr. David Burkus
@davidburkus.bsky.social
Helping Teams Do Their Best Work Ever | Bestselling Author | Keynote Speaker | Organizational Psychologist
Until Sarah burns out.
Or checks out.
Or walks out.
High performers want to be stretched.
But they don’t want to be sacrificed.
👉 The real reward?
Work that matters.
Support that’s consistent.
Growth that’s intentional.
Don’t turn your best people into your most overwhelmed.
Or checks out.
Or walks out.
High performers want to be stretched.
But they don’t want to be sacrificed.
👉 The real reward?
Work that matters.
Support that’s consistent.
Growth that’s intentional.
Don’t turn your best people into your most overwhelmed.
November 28, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Until Sarah burns out.
Or checks out.
Or walks out.
High performers want to be stretched.
But they don’t want to be sacrificed.
👉 The real reward?
Work that matters.
Support that’s consistent.
Growth that’s intentional.
Don’t turn your best people into your most overwhelmed.
Or checks out.
Or walks out.
High performers want to be stretched.
But they don’t want to be sacrificed.
👉 The real reward?
Work that matters.
Support that’s consistent.
Growth that’s intentional.
Don’t turn your best people into your most overwhelmed.
4. Who sees issues before they explode?
They think in systems, and they pivot early.
Still unsure?
Try this: Ask your team, “If you had to take leave tomorrow, who would you trust with your most important project?”
The name you hear more than once?
That’s your high performer.
They think in systems, and they pivot early.
Still unsure?
Try this: Ask your team, “If you had to take leave tomorrow, who would you trust with your most important project?”
The name you hear more than once?
That’s your high performer.
November 26, 2025 at 2:02 PM
4. Who sees issues before they explode?
They think in systems, and they pivot early.
Still unsure?
Try this: Ask your team, “If you had to take leave tomorrow, who would you trust with your most important project?”
The name you hear more than once?
That’s your high performer.
They think in systems, and they pivot early.
Still unsure?
Try this: Ask your team, “If you had to take leave tomorrow, who would you trust with your most important project?”
The name you hear more than once?
That’s your high performer.
2. Whose work becomes the standard?
The deck that becomes the template. The report that gets passed around.
3. Who teaches without being asked?
They mentor peers informally and share what they know freely.
The deck that becomes the template. The report that gets passed around.
3. Who teaches without being asked?
They mentor peers informally and share what they know freely.
November 26, 2025 at 2:02 PM
2. Whose work becomes the standard?
The deck that becomes the template. The report that gets passed around.
3. Who teaches without being asked?
They mentor peers informally and share what they know freely.
The deck that becomes the template. The report that gets passed around.
3. Who teaches without being asked?
They mentor peers informally and share what they know freely.
Because value isn’t volume.
And performance isn’t noise.
👉 Who’s the quiet high performer on your team? Recognize them today.
And performance isn’t noise.
👉 Who’s the quiet high performer on your team? Recognize them today.
November 21, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Because value isn’t volume.
And performance isn’t noise.
👉 Who’s the quiet high performer on your team? Recognize them today.
And performance isn’t noise.
👉 Who’s the quiet high performer on your team? Recognize them today.
But true high performers don’t compete for attention.
They elevate the work quietly.
They make others better.
They set the standard.
If you want to find your high performers, don’t ask:
“Who talks the most?”
Ask:
“Who do people turn to after the meeting ends?”
They elevate the work quietly.
They make others better.
They set the standard.
If you want to find your high performers, don’t ask:
“Who talks the most?”
Ask:
“Who do people turn to after the meeting ends?”
November 21, 2025 at 2:03 PM
But true high performers don’t compete for attention.
They elevate the work quietly.
They make others better.
They set the standard.
If you want to find your high performers, don’t ask:
“Who talks the most?”
Ask:
“Who do people turn to after the meeting ends?”
They elevate the work quietly.
They make others better.
They set the standard.
If you want to find your high performers, don’t ask:
“Who talks the most?”
Ask:
“Who do people turn to after the meeting ends?”
Recognition without appreciation feels transactional.
Appreciation without recognition feels hollow.
When leaders combine them?
People feel seen, valued, and motivated.
Question for you:
When was the last time you made space for both?
Appreciation without recognition feels hollow.
When leaders combine them?
People feel seen, valued, and motivated.
Question for you:
When was the last time you made space for both?
November 20, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Recognition without appreciation feels transactional.
Appreciation without recognition feels hollow.
When leaders combine them?
People feel seen, valued, and motivated.
Question for you:
When was the last time you made space for both?
Appreciation without recognition feels hollow.
When leaders combine them?
People feel seen, valued, and motivated.
Question for you:
When was the last time you made space for both?
Bonus: 🙋 A Leader Who Connects the Dots
You don’t need formal authority—just clarity, curiosity, and consistency.
✅ Cross-functional teams are challenging. But with these in place? They work.
Which one is missing from your team right now?
You don’t need formal authority—just clarity, curiosity, and consistency.
✅ Cross-functional teams are challenging. But with these in place? They work.
Which one is missing from your team right now?
November 14, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Bonus: 🙋 A Leader Who Connects the Dots
You don’t need formal authority—just clarity, curiosity, and consistency.
✅ Cross-functional teams are challenging. But with these in place? They work.
Which one is missing from your team right now?
You don’t need formal authority—just clarity, curiosity, and consistency.
✅ Cross-functional teams are challenging. But with these in place? They work.
Which one is missing from your team right now?
5. 🎉 Small Wins
Milestones motivate. Celebrate often, not just at the end.
Milestones motivate. Celebrate often, not just at the end.
November 14, 2025 at 2:02 PM
5. 🎉 Small Wins
Milestones motivate. Celebrate often, not just at the end.
Milestones motivate. Celebrate often, not just at the end.
4. 🧠 Empathy Across Departments
Ask: “What does success look like in your world?” Understand each other’s pressures.
Ask: “What does success look like in your world?” Understand each other’s pressures.
November 14, 2025 at 2:02 PM
4. 🧠 Empathy Across Departments
Ask: “What does success look like in your world?” Understand each other’s pressures.
Ask: “What does success look like in your world?” Understand each other’s pressures.
3. 💬 Communication Norms
What’s the rhythm? What tools? What’s the process for feedback?
What’s the rhythm? What tools? What’s the process for feedback?
November 14, 2025 at 2:02 PM
3. 💬 Communication Norms
What’s the rhythm? What tools? What’s the process for feedback?
What’s the rhythm? What tools? What’s the process for feedback?
2. 🧩 Role Clarity
Ambiguity leads to overlap—or worse, gaps. Name owners early.
Ambiguity leads to overlap—or worse, gaps. Name owners early.
November 14, 2025 at 2:02 PM
2. 🧩 Role Clarity
Ambiguity leads to overlap—or worse, gaps. Name owners early.
Ambiguity leads to overlap—or worse, gaps. Name owners early.
Here’s the truth:
If people don’t feel safe to speak up, you won’t get their best thinking.
And no, a polite team isn’t a high-performing team.
Innovation needs candor—not courtesy.
As a leader, your job isn’t to avoid conflict.
It’s to create safety for productive conflict.
If people don’t feel safe to speak up, you won’t get their best thinking.
And no, a polite team isn’t a high-performing team.
Innovation needs candor—not courtesy.
As a leader, your job isn’t to avoid conflict.
It’s to create safety for productive conflict.
November 13, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Here’s the truth:
If people don’t feel safe to speak up, you won’t get their best thinking.
And no, a polite team isn’t a high-performing team.
Innovation needs candor—not courtesy.
As a leader, your job isn’t to avoid conflict.
It’s to create safety for productive conflict.
If people don’t feel safe to speak up, you won’t get their best thinking.
And no, a polite team isn’t a high-performing team.
Innovation needs candor—not courtesy.
As a leader, your job isn’t to avoid conflict.
It’s to create safety for productive conflict.