When Someone Isn’t Performing: How to Lead With Clarity and Courage

In every team, there are high performers, steady contributors and then… there are the ones you worry about. You know who they are.

They consistently miss KPIs. They bring the energy down. You’ve coached, you’ve nudged, you’ve waited and still, nothing seems to change.

So what do you do when someone in your team isn’t performing?

Let’s get real: this is some of the hardest work a leader has to do. It’s uncomfortable. It’s emotionally charged. And, let’s face it, we often avoid it until the team is already suffering.

But if you want to build a high-performing, resilient team, you need to learn how to face underperformance head-on with clarity, with care, and without delay.

Start With One Key Question: “Why is this happening?”

Before you take action, you need insight. That means moving beyond numbers and asking yourself:

“Do I actually know why this person is underperforming?”

Sometimes, performance issues are rooted in perfectly valid reasons:

• They started later than others and need more time to ramp up

• They’re still building confidence or skill

• There are personal circumstances that are impacting focus or energy

That’s okay. You’re not running a robot factory. But at the same time, if someone’s been underperforming for months, or even years, without change, and it’s holding your whole team back? Then no, it’s not okay anymore.

Your job as a leader is to know what’s going on and act accordingly.

Three Diagnostic Questions Every Leader Should Ask

When you’re concerned about performance, ask yourself:

1. Do they understand what’s expected?

   
   

   → Are the KPIs clear? Have they been explained well? Does the person see why these goals matter?
   

2. Do they have the skills and capacity to do the job?

   
   

   → Sometimes it’s a knowledge gap. Sometimes it’s a systems issue. Sometimes they just need more coaching or support.
   

3. Do they want to perform?

   
   

   → This is the hardest one. Because if someone understands the job, and can do the job — but doesn’t want to do the job…

   
   

   Then you have a completely different problem.

Don’t Do the Work For Them

Here’s where many leaders make a classic mistake:

They try to fix performance problems for their team member.

“Maybe you should try this…”

“Why don’t you talk to Lisa, she’s great at this.”

“I’ll sit with you next time and we’ll figure it out together.”

Sounds helpful, right? But what’s actually happening is this:

You’re owning their performance more than they are.

And that’s dangerous. Because the more you work, the less they will. The responsibility needs to stay where it belongs with the person in the role.

When It’s a Motivation Problem

If someone doesn’t want to improve, if they’re checked out, cynical, or just over it, then performance plans and coaching won’t help. That’s a willpower issue, not a skills issue.

This is when you need to have a brave conversation.

You might say:

“I’ve noticed you’ve been disengaged for a while now. It feels like your heart’s not in it anymore. Am I wrong?”

“If this role isn’t what you want anymore, let’s talk about it, openly. Because right now, this isn’t working. And I don’t want this to drag on for either of us.”

This isn’t about blame. It’s about truth. When you name the elephant in the room, you create a path forward, whether that’s coaching, re-energizing… or exit.

Lead with empathy but don’t get stuck

You can care and be clear. You can lead with heart while still saying:

“This can’t continue.”

Yes, these are hard conversations. Yes, they can be emotionally intense. But if you avoid them, your team pays the price. Performance slips. Morale drops. And eventually, your best people start looking elsewhere.

Underperformance is contagious. But so is clarity. There might be a chance that bringing all this up will make the underperformer move themselves towards a new job.

What If Nothing Changes? Go Formal.

If you’ve tried to address the issues informally, coaching, feedback, support and nothing is changing, then it’s time to go formal. Not to punish, but to create clarity and urgency.

When you formalize performance expectations, remember these three rights every employee has:

1. The right to know what is expected

2. The right to receive support

3. The right to know how they’re doing

Sometimes, just seeing expectations on paper with real consequences attached is enough to create a shift.

The Goal Isn’t to Get Rid of People. It’s to Get the Best From Them.

You became a leader to help people grow, not to push them out. But sometimes, the kindest thing you can do for someone and your team is to help them realize it’s time to move on.

And if you’ve done the work, listened, coached, clarified, challenged and things still aren’t shifting?

Then it’s time to choose courage over comfort.

Because your team deserves a leader who doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff.

And your people, even the struggling ones, deserve honesty, dignity, and direction.