Leading at a Higher Level: Blanchard on Leadership and Creating High Performing Organizations

Imagine you’ve always measured leadership success by your team's quarterly targets or finances. But what if maximizing profit is only part of the story—and by itself, it shortchanges your long-term results and reputation?

Maybe you've seen organizations grow rapidly only to become toxic workplaces, or watched a business win awards but struggle with high staff turnover. In contrast, think of Southwest Airlines, cited in the book, where leaders obsess over keeping employees happy, believing profit is the applause for serving both internal and external customers. When company culture, customer delight, investor confidence, and social responsibility are all strong, the results aren’t just financial—they’re legendary legacies.

At the heart of high performance is the quadruple bottom line: being the employer, provider, investment, and corporate citizen of choice. Traditional leadership focuses on a single bottom line (profit), often ignoring people, community, or long-term sustainability. Blanchard’s research shows that only organizations scoring high across all four dimensions consistently outperform, thrive in crises, and build enduring reputations. Neglecting even one area, such as employee well-being or public responsibility, weakens performance and may lead to reputational or business failure. The quadruple approach is grounded in systems thinking and behavioral science, showing that human satisfaction and stakeholder trust drive sustainable results.

Start by examining what success means to you and your organization—go beyond quarterly earnings to ask how you’re treating your people, customers, investors, and community. Use a simple chart to map out current strengths and gaps. Maybe you realize your company isn’t the 'employer of choice' or your community presence is lacking. Set one tangible goal for improvement in each area—perhaps launching an internal survey to gather team feedback, piloting a new customer service protocol, or creating a local partnership. As you implement these, track not just the numbers but also the stories of impact and satisfaction they generate. Soon, you'll see that sustainable success—and your personal fulfillment as a leader—depends on scoring wins in all four directions.

What if you had a proven checklist distinguishing average organizations from those that thrive year after year, rain or shine?

Picture an organization where decisions are made in silos, learning is sporadic, and change feels forced from above. Employee engagement is low and every setback feels like a fire drill. Now, contrast this to Bose or Nordstrom—a workplace where information flows openly, purpose is clear, feedback is valued, and employees at all levels drive innovation and problem-solving.

The HPO SCORES model identifies six pillars: Shared Information, Compelling Vision, Ongoing Learning, Relentless Focus on Customer Results, Energizing Systems, and Shared Power. High-performing organizations have structures, habits, and mindsets supporting all six—whereas weak organizations may perform well in just one or two areas while neglecting the rest. This integrated approach ensures resilience, adaptability, and satisfaction by unleashing everyone’s potential, not just relying on rules, charisma, or top-down authority. Behavioral science research backs up that open communication and real involvement trigger trust and accountability—key drivers of motivation and performance.

Take a critical look at your organization, team—or even family—through the lens of these six areas. Choose the one you’re weakest at; perhaps your systems make work harder instead of easier, or learning happens in a piecemeal way. Design a simple experiment to boost just that one area—maybe it’s committing to transparent updates or scheduling cross-training with other departments. Involve your team in the process, encourage honest feedback, and notice how fixing one weak link sparks momentum elsewhere. By addressing all six areas over time, you'll enjoy steady performance improvements and a culture people want to be part of.

Empowerment is a management buzzword, but what does it actually look like in daily life?

In many organizations, managers keep tight control over information and decisions, believing it's their job to hold all the cards. Employees feel frustrated, disengaged, and unlikely to take initiative. Now imagine Trader Joe’s or Yum! Brands, where frontline staff have the tools, data, and trust to fix customer issues or propose business improvements—often without asking for permission.

Empowerment means recognizing that everyone already has unique power through knowledge, skills, and motivation. Leaders must build systems and cultures that unleash—not restrict—this power. Common mistakes include trying to selectively 'hand out' empowerment or assuming people aren’t interested in responsibility. In reality, when employees understand business realities and boundaries, they're more accountable, creative, and fulfilled. This shifts organizations from hierarchy to high-involvement partnership, ultimately improving results and culture.

The quickest win: start sharing more information, whether financials, project goals, or customer feedback. Challenge a team to self-manage a discrete task or process, defining only clear boundaries like deadlines or resources. Support them with needed training, not micromanagement—and let them report progress and brainstorm solutions to obstacles. Celebrate their wins, learn from missteps, and gradually expand their scope of autonomy. Over time, this not only frees up managers but also unlocks higher ownership, agility, and engagement across your team.

You want high performance, but your default leadership style doesn’t work for everyone—or every task.

Consider a manager who treats every team member the same, regardless of their strengths or experience. Newcomers get overwhelmed by too much autonomy, while veterans chafe at constant check-ins. Frustration rises, productivity drops, and morale erodes. But what if you could flex your approach based on who needs what, when?

SLII is a research-based model that shows the right leadership style depends on competence and commitment for each specific task or goal. Directing works for beginners, Coaching for those struggling, Supporting for nearly independent performers, and Delegating for experts. Most leaders stick with just one or two styles, but true effectiveness means adapting as people grow. This method relies on diagnosing needs, communicating intentions, and shifting your blend of direction and support—building both skills and confidence without micromanagement or abandonment.

Begin by listing each key team goal or responsibility, then for each member, honestly assess their current skill and enthusiasm. Are they new and eager, or experienced but wary? Choose the SLII®-aligned style; maybe you’ll sit with a new hire for direct coaching one day, then schedule open-ended strategy sessions with a high-performer. Always explain why you’re changing your approach, so no one mistakes your new style for a lack of trust or disinterest. As competence and confidence shift, update your support. Over time, you'll see more resilient, self-motivated performers, all moving toward mastery at their own pace.

Most people dread annual performance reviews or feedback sessions. What if it could be a source of satisfaction and growth instead?

Too many organizations rely on vague, once-a-year reviews, filled with generic praise or blame. Employees feel anxious, confused, or even resentful, unclear about what’s expected and unsure where they stand. Compare this to a leader who sits down with team members to set just a few clear, actionable goals, and then checks in often—cheering, guiding, and helping solve roadblocks in real time.

Frequent coaching beats annual 'judgment day' reviews. SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Trackable) give clarity and momentum. Regular feedback, especially praise for progress, multiplies motivation and learning. Re-directions (like in the One Minute Manager model) address errors without shaming, keeping relationships and goals intact. This approach, rooted in behavioral psychology, creates psychological safety, strengthens accountability, and develops self-responsible, high-achieving partners—not clock-watching employees.

Start the process by having a focused conversation with each person. Write down just three to five sharp, agreed-upon goals—reference them frequently, not just at review time. Take intentional walks around the 'floor,' looking for chances to call out progress, mentioning exactly what worked and why it matters. Handle missteps right when they happen, privately and specifically, separating the action from the individual. Finish any correction with a message of faith in their abilities. By investing in ongoing, positive one-on-one guidance, you’ll see productivity and morale skyrocket—and you’ll build relationships that last.

Trust is the invisible glue of every great partnership, team, or organization—but it's often neglected or taken for granted.

Perhaps you've noticed that your team is disengaged or employees are leaving, citing a vague 'lack of communication' as the reason. Blanchard’s research shows that low trust drives performance, motivation, and loyalty into the ground. When trust slips—even unintentionally—people withhold effort, seek only transactions, and stop believing leaders care about their best interests.

The ABCD Trust Model (Able, Believable, Connected, Dependable) turns the vague idea of trust into clear, actionable behaviors. Building trust requires consistent demonstration—not just intention—across all areas. When trust falters, relationships can be restored through candid conversations, apologies, and agreements on new norms. Psychological and organizational research shows that trust accelerates performance, builds loyalty, and fosters innovation.

Take stock of your own behaviors in each trust area. Ask others where they see you shining and where you slip. Identify a relationship—perhaps with your boss, a team member, or even a client—where trust isn’t as strong as it could be. Approach the person openly: admit your own missteps first, apologize genuinely, and listen for their perspective on where things got off track. Together, agree on what each of you will do differently. Follow up consistently to show your commitment—perhaps sharing new boundaries, updates, or positive feedback on a more regular basis. As trust grows, you’ll see energy, initiative, and loyalty return—both for you and across your team.

Teams are powerful—but only when led with intention and awareness of their natural growth stages.

You’ve probably joined a team that started with high enthusiasm but soon ran into obstacles—or fragmentation. Without a straightforward process, talent is wasted and meetings become emotional or unproductive. Blanchard’s research highlights that just 27% of teams see themselves as high-performing; most never get past the struggle phase.

Teams move through predictable development stages: Orientation (high hope, low output), Dissatisfaction (conflict, falling morale), Integration (trust building, learning), and Production (high achievement, shared leadership). Effective leaders diagnose the stage and match their style, providing direction early, resolving conflicts, and encouraging participation during struggles. They integrate for collaboration and validate success at the pinnacle. Failing to adapt leads to stuck teams—either ones that are stalled in conflict or ones that celebrate prematurely with little productivity.

Take a step back and observe your team anew: Are you in Orientation, stuck in Dissatisfaction, merging into Integration, or soaring in Production? Adjust your leadership accordingly—perhaps you need to assert structure and roles, or maybe you’re ready to loosen the reins and empower others. Facilitate regular team debriefs not just about outputs but about how the team is operating, encouraging everyone to play a role as 'participant observer.' Celebrate progress as your team advances, and recognize that when it stumbles, a pivot in leadership—not punishment—may be all that’s needed to get back on course.

Goals get you moving, but it’s vision that gets you moving in the right direction, together—and keeps you going when times get tough.

Organizations with no clear vision drift—or worse, splinter into factions. Maybe you’ve seen a 'vision statement' framed on the wall but ignored in practice, or watched passionate new hires fade into disengagement without a sense of purpose. In contrast, places like Disney or Give Kids the World ignite shared excitement because every person, from the CEO to the groundskeeper, knows why they matter.

A compelling vision has three parts: a significant purpose (why), a picture of the future (what success looks like), and clear values (how to behave on a daily basis). Vision isn’t about empty slogans; it aligns action, builds trust, and prevents wasted effort on pointless work. Without shared vision, people become confused, priorities clash, and morale collapses. When vision is alive, all actions—even tough decisions or setbacks—are measured against an inspiring 'north star,' fueling resilience and innovation.

Instead of dictating a vision, invite your team to explore what really inspires them, what future they want to see—inside and outside the company—and which values they want to live by. Capture this collaboratively, and make it the standard for meetings, hiring, promotions, and recognition. Whenever challenges arise, revisit your vision: does your planned response honor your purpose and values? Make vision a living document, not a dusty artifact, and challenge yourself to lead by example every day.