In leadership there is such a thing as a good problem to have. Vanessa, a housekeeper on my former team, was a high performer – fast, efficient, friendly, and genuinely cared about the guest experience. She was happy and naturally we wanted to keep her happy. With high performers, our first instinct is usually to promote them – many times this is the right decision, sometimes it isn’t. Vanessa, with all of her redeeming qualities, was hesitant when approached about the idea of a promotion.
She said she didn’t want the extra stress of being a supervisor and that she didn’t feel strong when it comes to administrative tasks and coaching/guidance. We tried to convince her she could do it with some encouragement (growth happens through periods of discomfort) but she was still reluctant.
Our persistence led her to try out the new role on a trial basis. Fast forward to the end of the week; she did well enough, but when asked her thoughts on proceeding further, she insisted on remaining a housekeeper.
We were a little sad, as we were in need of a leader, but this was a blessing in disguise. Vanessa was a Rockstar.
As Kim Scott notes in her book, Radical Candor, there are two types of high performing employees, a Rockstar and a Superstar.
Rockstars are employees who:
- Excel in the current role
- Provide consistency and reliability
- Are the backbones of operations
- Bring institutional knowledge and steady performance
- May not seek promotion or added responsibility, but are invaluable
Superstars are employees who:
- Are growth oriented and seek advancement
- Want new challenges and increased responsibility
- Drive innovation and change
- Want to break through the glass ceiling (and may change jobs if they can’t)
Both Rockstars and Superstars are essential to a high performing team, but there is a balance. Too many superstars can cause conflict (too many cooks in the kitchen) and too many rockstars can lead to stagnation.
Neither is better or worse than the other and it would be a grave mistake to give less time and attention to a rockstar because they don’t want more responsibility. We tend to take rockstars for granted because they don’t demand attention—but their absence is immediately felt. When a rockstar calls in sick or leaves, you suddenly realize how much he or she was quietly holding the operation together.
The approach we take to managing each one is the key to success. When we push rockstars into roles they don’t want, we’re setting them up for the Peter Principle—a theory formulated by Dr. Laurence J. Peter in 1969 that states: “In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to their level of incompetence.” In other words, people get promoted based on their performance in their current role until they reach a position where they no longer excel. Vanessa was nearly a victim of this. She was an exceptional housekeeper, but that didn’t mean she’d be an exceptional supervisor. By respecting her choice to stay in her role, we kept a rockstar instead of creating an incompetent manager.
How to Support Rockstars
Rockstars need recognition, but not the same kind as superstars. They don’t necessarily want the spotlight or new challenges—they want to be valued for their consistency and expertise. This might look like:
- Public acknowledgment of their reliability and quality
- Small increases in pay or benefits
- Special responsibilities that honor their expertise without requiring management duties
- Being consulted when training new employees
- Protected schedules or preferred shifts
The key is recognizing that “career growth” doesn’t always mean “moving up.”
How to Support Superstars
Superstars aren’t necessarily easier to manage. When there’s no position available for them to move into, they get restless. If you don’t give them new challenges, they’ll find them elsewhere—at your competitor. This is a good problem to have. Here’s how to keep them engaged:
- Give them ownership of special projects and initiatives
- Provide stretch assignments that challenge their abilities
- Let them mentor and develop other team members
- Create visibility for their contributions
- Discuss their career path and advancement opportunities regularly
Keep them challenged or risk losing them to your competition.
It’s important to note that employees can shift between rockstars and superstars. For example, a superstar may shift into the role of a rockstar when they start a family and their priorities change. A rockstar may reach a stagnation level that resembles boredom and decide they are now ready for a new challenge.
In Vanessa’s case, we found a third path. She wasn’t formally promoted, but she was given additional responsibilities that matched her strengths—a slight pay increase and the title of VIP Lead, responsible for all VIP arrivals. She got recognition and growth in her role. We kept an exceptional housekeeper instead of creating a mediocre supervisor. Everyone won.
Not every high performer wants or should be promoted. The best leaders recognize the difference between rockstars and superstars—and manage each accordingly. Your rockstars keep the operation steady. Your superstars drive it forward. You need both. The key is knowing which one you’re dealing with and what they actually need to thrive.
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