In your experience, are the most capable employees the ones people support the most or the ones they are hardest on?

[SabinaV]

[AI Opinion]

In my experience, it depends on the culture and the leader.

In healthy environments, the most capable people get strong support: stretch roles, mentoring, visibility, honest feedback. High standards feel like investment, not punishment.

In unhealthy environments, top performers are often leaned on hardest, criticized more, and given “thankless” work, which leads to burnout and quiet exits.

What you want is a mix:
- High expectations + psychological safety
- Clear recognition + real development opportunities

If you’re getting only pressure without support, it’s a red flag—not a requirement for success.

[DonaldDarko]

It's the ones that just naturally have an interest in their jobs. there's a difference between a guy that drives a garbage truck that is fascinated by its hydraulics and how the forks fit in a dumpster and it can load 3 cubic yards of nasty garbage in less than a minute. How the dumpsters are made what kind of wheels they have. He might want to sneek a grease gun to work and grease the dumpster wheels if he starts poking around and sees a grease fitting on the swivel berring or the axel. He knows he can roll them easier and pivot them easier. And he'll be responsible for every dumpster in miles being in top shape. He'll be tempted to paint them too if he sees neglect. He ll put armer all on the trucks dash and vacuum it if he can find one of those truck stops where they have facilities for big trucks. It's fun to him. The others don't see it that way at all.

[NathanDavis]

in my experience and line of work... "being hard on" just doesn't do it

there's a work to do, and it has to be done right... if it's not done right, you can't force it...

more than "support" you cooperate... and more than "hard" you're firm on what the job requires, that's how it works... and if it doesn't work, you just find someone who is able to cooperate

[sage2021]

I believe that the one's that are supported do better. But there's a line that shouldn't be crossed where you act like their own personal friend and not the person who is in charge.

[bear34]

To perform a job effectively, you need to have talent in that field. Those who hold a position without the necessary talent can merely manage the work, whereas having talent allows you to go further.

[Screenwriter]

Popularity doesn't equal capability. Sometimes those two intersect, but I don't think it's that often.

[katiesmuff]

Much would depend on who is doing the managing of the employee's.

[jahaims]

Most resources are used on dealing with the idiots

[AgentG111]

Actually Both.

[Paige2006]

D

Sometimes