I Work with Brilliant People. My Job? Push Them Further.
The best teams aren’t built by being the smartest in the room. They’re built by creating space for brilliant people—and then challenging them to stretch beyond what they think they can do.
One of the most fulfilling parts of my work is surrounding myself with high performers. People who think fast, execute even faster, and bring domain expertise I’ll never have. That’s exactly the environment I want to be in—because my job isn’t to outshine anyone. It’s to help them do their best work.
It Starts with Respect
I’ve never believed in managing through ego. If I’ve hired someone, or brought them into a team, it means I already respect what they bring. But respect doesn’t mean complacency. The people I trust the most? I challenge the hardest.
Not because I doubt them. But because I know they’re capable of more.
The Value of Being Challenged
The best feedback I’ve ever gotten was from people who didn’t let me get away with “good enough.” They asked better questions, pushed my assumptions, and invited me to raise the bar. That’s the environment I aim to create in any team I lead.
People don’t grow from being protected. They grow when you give them real responsibility and expect them to rise to it.
How I Lead in High-Performing Teams
- I ask tough questions early and often
- I praise good thinking, but never flatter
- I encourage dissent—then help turn it into action
- I hold people to their own ambitions, not mine
Challenge Only Works with Safety
Of course, none of this works without trust. People can only push themselves when they know someone has their back. So I focus on building environments where people feel safe enough to take risks—and supported enough to learn when they fall short.
I don’t need to be the hero. I want to be the person who helped someone else become one.
I write about real-world leadership, team development, and performance in the context of high-growth environments. If this post resonates, connect with me on LinkedIn or on X @rlivain_builds.
