How to Handle When a High-Performing Employee is Negatively Impacting Company Culture
In the complex world of business management, balancing employee performance and company culture is a critical challenge. This article presents valuable insights from industry experts on making tough decisions when these two factors clash. Learn how prioritizing organizational values and fostering a positive work environment can lead to long-term success and team harmony.
- Prioritize Culture Over Individual Performance
- Align Talent with Organizational Values
- Team Harmony Trumps Individual Achievement
- Healthy Culture Outweighs Short-Term Gains
- Fostering a Positive Work Environment
Prioritize Culture Over Individual Performance
I’ve seen this scenario play out too many times. The ‘star performer’ who hits every target, brings in revenue, or has a skill set the business feels it can’t live without. However, behind the scenes, they’re creating chaos. People avoid working with them, morale drops, and the atmosphere becomes toxic.
One client had exactly this – a technically brilliant individual who delivered big numbers but belittled colleagues, undermined managers, and fostered a fear-based environment. The leadership team was torn. “But look at what they’re bringing in,” they said. “Can we really afford to lose them?”
In my opinion, this is where most businesses go wrong. They overvalue output and undervalue culture. Performance at any cost is not sustainable. Eventually, good people leave, teams fragment, and the business suffers.
We ran an honest diagnostic: anonymous feedback, one-on-one conversations, and a culture assessment. The evidence was overwhelming. The individual’s behavior was damaging trust, collaboration, and long-term performance.
The difficult decision? They had to go. Despite being a ‘high performer’ on paper, they were a net liability.
What did I learn? That culture IS performance. You can’t build a strong, healthy, high-performing business if you tolerate behavior that erodes trust. Often, when you remove the toxic high performer, the rest of the team flourishes. People step up, morale lifts, and ironically, performance improves.
It’s a hard call, but in my experience, protecting culture is non-negotiable. Toxic stars are never worth the price.
Natalie Lewis
Founder and Director, Dynamic HR Services Ltd.
Align Talent with Organizational Values
We once had a rockstar performer who hit every metric out of the park—but left emotional bruises along the way. Internally, we joked that working with them felt like walking on eggshells, but eventually, the laughter wore thin. Complaints trickled in quietly at first, then more consistently, and from people who were otherwise resilient and engaged. That’s when we knew performance wasn’t the only KPI that mattered.
The toughest decision? Letting them go, even though their departure meant a potential revenue dip and a serious hit to short-term output. We tried coaching, private feedback, even peer-led check-ins to rebuild bridges. But what we learned was that talent without emotional intelligence isn’t sustainable—no matter how impressive the numbers look.
Letting them go wasn’t about punishment; it was about alignment. Culture isn’t defined by one person’s brilliance—it’s the collective energy of the team. Once they left, the relief across the organization was palpable. Morale lifted, collaboration picked up, and people started speaking more freely in meetings. We didn’t just protect our culture—we reinforced it.
The lesson? Never let results become an excuse for toxicity. True leadership means making the hard calls to preserve not just what gets done, but how it gets done. And sometimes, the biggest act of leadership is drawing a line between excellence and ego.
John Mac
Serial Entrepreneur, UNIBATT
Team Harmony Trumps Individual Achievement
We had someone on the team who was really good at their work. They were always on time. They looked kind from the outside, but
things started falling off from the inside. People weren’t speaking up in meetings as much, and there was this tension that wasn’t there before.
At first, I didn’t want to believe it was coming from that one person. I figured maybe it was just a rough patch. But then a few team members came to me separately and shared how this person was being rude, cutting people off, and making others feel small. That’s when I knew we couldn’t ignore it.
I had a direct talk with them, keeping it honest and respectful. They listened, but nothing really changed after that. So eventually, I had to let them go.
It wasn’t easy. They were a strong performer, and I worried how it would affect our output. But after they left, the change in the team was huge. People were more open, ideas flowed better, and everyone just seemed more comfortable.
What I learned is that how someone works with others matters just as much as what they get done. A bad attitude, even from someone skilled, can drag everyone down. Now, we always look at how someone fits with the team, not just what’s on their resume. Because a good team that works well together will always do better in the long run.
Manisha Upadhyay
Sr. HR Executive, Digital4design
Healthy Culture Outweighs Short-Term Gains
I had a top-performing sales representative whose relentless drive was pushing deals through but also bulldozing teammates’ morale—constant micromanaging, public critiques, the works. After a frank one-on-one where I laid out how their behavior conflicted with our core value of “team first,” I gave them a clear roadmap to adjust. When nothing changed after two weeks of support and check-ins, I made the tough call to let them go.
Losing big numbers off the board stung, but within days I saw a shift: quieter collaboration, more peer-to-peer coaching, and even creative problem-solving that had stalled before. It reminded me that a healthy culture can’t be sacrificed for short-term wins. Now, I weigh character fit as heavily as KPIs—and I’d advise any leader: performance without respect does far more harm than good.
Anthony Sorrentino
Owner, Pest Pros of Michigan
Fostering a Positive Work Environment
Years ago, I had a senior SEO strategist who was sharp as a tack and delivered exceptional performance. However, they had a knack for leaving a trail of frustrated teammates behind. Feedback sessions felt more like interrogations. As a result, team morale dipped significantly.
After several one-on-one meetings and peer reviews, it became clear that great numbers don’t excuse toxic energy. I had to make the difficult decision to let them go.
It wasn’t an easy choice. We lost a top performer. But we gained back collaboration, trust, and breathing room. The team’s creativity increased dramatically without the fear of being micromanaged or steamrolled.
What did I learn from this experience? Culture eats metrics for breakfast. One bad apple can spoil the bunch, even if it’s a high-performing one. Performance should never come at the cost of people’s well-being. I’d rather train a good human being than tolerate a brilliant jerk. Business thrives when people actually want to show up, and not just for the paycheck.
Mike Khorev
SEO Consultant, Mike Khorev