People often think of a business as two separate parts:
- Culture– the “soft” side. A place people enjoy working and have a sense of belonging and community.
- Performance– the “hard” side. Individual results, revenue growth, market share, promotions and metrics.
Most leaders operate as if you must choose one or the other: a strong culture where people love to work or a performance-driven environment focused on results.
But from my experience, the most successful organizations are built on what I call a culture of performance.
What Is a Culture of Performance?
A culture of performance is a workplace where doing exceptional work is the culture: where people feel stretched, supported and proud to achieve results that matter together.
It’s not a place people enjoy working just because there are great snacks in the break room and it’s also not a place where success depends on individuals outcompeting one another.
It’s the integration of both care and challenge. People love the environment precisely because they are pushed to do their best work, alongside peers who are equally committed, in service of something bigger than themselves.
How It Feels to Work in One
To work in a culture of performance feels like being in the flow, where your work lights you up:
- You’re stretched to do your best work and surprised by what you achieve.
- You’re proud, not just of your own results, but of how the team moves the business forward together.
- You experience camaraderie, creativity and consistent energy because everyone around you is operating at a high level.
The satisfaction doesn’t just come from “liking your job.” It comes from knowing your gifts are being used to advance something meaningful.
The Difference from Performance-Based Cultures
Performance-based cultures often measure success purely by individual output. You win by outproducing, outselling or outshining your peers. That kind of culture can create results, but it often comes at the expense of burnout, turnover and disconnection.
In a culture of performance, results aren’t achieved in spite of the culture- they’re the expression of it. People feel like valued contributors whose excellence fuels collective success, not like individual champions.
The Role of Leadership
Leaders are the architects of this culture. They:
- Invest in self-awareness and show up with regulation and consistency
- Hire people who are truly excellent at what they do.
- Set clear expectations and realistic (but stretchy!) goals.
- Hold themselves to the same high standards with transparent scorecards and honest reporting.
- Remove barriers so their teams can perform
- Coach individuals to grow into their full potential.
The balance is crucial. Too much pressure without care leads to burnout and attrition. Too much care without stretch leads high performers to disengage.
Leaders create the sweet spot by combining safety with challenge.
The Payoff
When organizations cultivate a culture of performance, they:
- Retain their best people– because high achievers want to stay where they’re acknowledged, fulfilled and inspired to raise the bar
- Achieve business goals consistently– because goals are clear, achievable and each person understands how their contribution moves the needle.
- Build pride and loyalty– because people achieve as a collective and see the results of their combined effort.
This isn’t just about hitting KPIs. It’s about creating the conditions where high performance is both sustainable and deeply satisfying for individuals, teams and the business as a whole.
A culture of performance is what great leaders strive for. It’s not culture or performance. It’s culture through performance.
