The Performance Paradox

The harder leaders push for immediate results, the more they undermine the possibility of sustainable performance.

Dear Reader,

I have been watching my daughter Marie try to form words. She babbles, experiments, and often blurts out sounds that only make sense to her. Most of the time it looks awkward and scattered. Yet every once in a while something clicks, and she discovers a new way to connect. That is how learning works. We keep trying, fumbling forward, until one day the effort gels into something new.

What strikes me is that this process never changes. We learn as adults in the same way we did as children. We test, we stumble, and we try again until something finally takes shape. At some point, though, society quietly teaches us that being awkward is unacceptable. Mistakes are no longer tolerated and missteps are criticized. The result is that many of us procrastinate rather than risk looking clumsy. We hold back from experimenting because we fear how others might judge the attempt.

In organizations this problem becomes even stronger. Leaders often use coercive techniques to squeeze performance from their teams through criticism, pressure, or constant oversight. Ironically, these approaches do not produce growth. They shut it down. They drive people into fear and self-protection, which is the exact opposite of the mindset needed for learning.

What Have I Been Learning?

Lately I have been learning about patience. Things take time, whether in personal growth, leadership, or in building something that matters. You can push and you can strain, yet the real breakthroughs arrive in their own season. Often it feels slow, yet before you know it the very thing you were reaching for stands right in front of you. Even more quickly it fades into the rear view mirror, and what once seemed so far away becomes part of your past.

Where Have My Travels Taken Me?

Recently I traveled back to the farm where I grew up. I realized that every skill I learned there came from doing the work with my own hands. I did not master anything by thinking about it or waiting until I was sure I could do it perfectly. I learned by stepping in, trying, and adjusting as I went. The farm reminded me that real growth never comes without awkward attempts and clumsy beginnings.

What Am I Reading?

Carol Dweck’s work on mindset has been on my mind. A fixed mindset interprets mistakes as evidence of failure, while a growth mindset sees them as stepping stones toward mastery. The way we respond to awkward beginnings in our teams determines whether people withdraw or step forward into progress.

Closing Insight

If your goal is growth and performance, awkwardness is not a barrier. It is the path itself. Leaders who criticize early attempts choke off the possibility of learning. Leaders who normalize mistakes and support the messy process of trial and error open the door to collective growth.

Until next time,

Kursten