It will come as no surprise to anyone that all leaders want capable and dedicated team members. We are delighted when some of our team members turn out to be star performers. These are the men and women who need very little motivation from us and almost no hand-holding to get things done. We laud their achievements and silently wish that all of our team members were cast in the same mould. We talk of them at home at the dinner table with words like ‘great attitude’ and ‘role model’.

Experienced leaders also know that leading stars can sometimes be tricky. Perhaps inevitably, stars will have expectations that aren’t always met. They will expect their colleagues to “pull their weight” and when this doesn’t happen, frustration (which is normal) can spill over into impatience, griping and aggression. Stars also usually know how valuable they are and thus expect a certain amount of deference from others. When this tendency is left unchecked, it can turn into a sense of entitlement which manifests itself in high-handedness. Such traits can be toxic and cause dysfunction in a team. And strangely, some of these high achievers are insecure and in constant need of positive feedback or affirmation. Words like ‘needy’ and ‘high-maintenance’ come to mind.

Leading such stars isn’t easy – it requires a deft touch and a fair measure of self-confidence. Here are a few ways that have worked for me:

• Be very clear on how performance is assessed. Defining their performance objectives with desirable behaviours as well as hard targets will let your stars know what will be tolerated and what will not.
• Talk to them about their career aspirations. Give them new responsibilities that require new skills – let them see how this can open up new paths of career progression. Challenge them to improve the processes they follow or the product / services they support – this will get their creative juices flowing.
• Invite them to share their “secret sauce” to their team-mates and to mentor youngsters. Let them know they have been chosen for such initiatives as a recognition of their competence.
• While micromanaging them isn’t productive, giving them free rein may not be either. Let them know how often you will meet with them and what your expectations are. I am reminded of a few “star performers” in a company I once worked for, who, in the absence of a firm hand, came to slowly believe they were indispensable. They weren’t.
• Avoid giving them special treatment as it can cause their heads to inflate and resentment in others. Give them relevant and specific feedback assertively, just like you would to any other employee. Offer them your support if they should ever need it.
• Don’t tolerate poor performance in your team – star performers will see this rightly as an absence of leadership and will lose respect for you.
• Learn to let them go to other opportunities in your organization after they have worked with you for a while. Holding on to them for a very long time just because they are very good at their job is neither fair to them nor good for your credibility as a leader.

Stars sometimes need your help in not hurting themselves and those around them. With the right kind of support and management, they can be valuable assets in your organization. Do you have any personal stories on how you have handled difficult stars? I’d love to hear from you.