What Makes High Performing Leaders Stand Out?
After analyzing thousands of performance coaching sessions across industries, a clear pattern emerged: high performing leaders think, act, and respond differently than their peers. This isn’t about charisma or clocking 80-hour weeks. It’s about mindset, behaviors, and intentional choices that drive sustainable success.
The Pivot of One Impro Participant
One of our participants, a Vice President at a growing fintech company, was already seen as a strong performer. Their KPIs were solid, he received regular recognition, and their team consistently met deadlines.
He began working with an Impro Performance Strategist as part of their commitment to leadership development.
In the beginning, sessions focused mainly on data and outcomes. As the relationship grew, the conversations became more open and reflective. A key moment came after reviewing anonymized 360 feedback, which provided valuable insights into how the team experienced their leadership style. This helped shift the focus from just performance metrics to more purposeful leadership.
The VP started asking more thoughtful questions, listening more actively, and giving team members greater trust and ownership. Weekly check-ins turned into meaningful conversations about growth and goals. Within a few months, the team became more connected and motivated. By the end of the year, engagement scores increased by 28 percent, and the team felt stronger and more stable.
This change was not about doing more. It was about leading with greater clarity and intention.
Key Habits of High Performing Leaders
- They Embrace Discomfort Early
High performing leaders don’t wait until there’s a crisis to engage in reflection or change. They seek feedback proactively. In performance coaching, they bring vulnerability to the table. One leader said, “If I’m too comfortable, I’m probably not growing.”
- They Shift from Firefighting to Pattern Recognition
Average performers are often stuck in daily problem-solving. High performers zoom out. They use performance coaching sessions to identify behavioral patterns—their own and their team’s. This meta-awareness enables them to act systemically, not symptomatically.
- They Model Psychological Safety
In nearly every performance coaching session with a top-tier leader, psychological safety came up. But not just as a buzzword. These leaders ask better questions, own their missteps publicly, and invite challenge. One exec made a point to say in every team meeting: “What am I missing?”
- They Treat Energy Like a KPI
Time is finite. Energy is renewable—but only if managed intentionally. High performing leaders track their energy drains and renewals with the same rigor as project budgets. Coaching helps them identify patterns: “Where do I feel most alive? Where do I shut down?”
- They Scale Through Others, Not Themselves
High performers aren’t trying to be the smartest person in the room. They actively build capability in others. Coaching often focuses on how to delegate real ownership, not just tasks. They set clear intent, then trust their team to execute creatively. One client shared, “My biggest shift was realizing I’m not the hero of the story—my team is.”
The Coaching Mindset: What Leaders Gain
The biggest surprise? Most high performing leaders don’t see performance coaching as remedial. They see it as strategic. A performance edge. It’s where they think clearly, speak candidly, and experiment with new approaches before applying them at scale.
In a world moving faster than ever, performance coaching offers a rare moment to pause, think, and recalibrate. It’s not a luxury—it’s a leadership multiplier.
What You Can Do Today
- Audit your energy: Track one week of highs and lows. What’s the pattern?
- Ask for feedback: Use this prompt: “What’s one thing I could do differently that would help us work better together?”
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Zoom out weekly: Spend 30 minutes identifying patterns in your team’s dynamics.
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Coach one person: Choose one team member and ask, “What does great look like for you this quarter? How can I support that?”
Final Thought
High performing leaders aren’t superhuman. They just make better use of reflection, feedback, and intentional action. They treat performance as a craft—one that can always be improved.
This Impro participant didn’t just hit targets. He built a team that stayed, thrived, and scaled. The difference wasn’t in doing more. It was in thinking better. That’s the edge performance coaching provides—not a fix, but a foundation for better leadership.
