Developing Others When They’re Struggling: How Great Leaders Support, Guide, and Manage Performance With Care

Every leader eventually faces a moment where a team member is failing to meet expectations. It’s one of the most challenging aspects of leadership—not because of the work involved, but because it requires balancing compassion with accountability, support with structure, and development with performance management.

When done well, these moments can become turning points. For the employee. For the leader. And for the team.

Here’s how leaders can support a struggling staff member while still maintaining standards, performance, and organisational integrity.

1. Start With Understanding: Diagnose Before You Prescribe

Underperformance rarely happens without a cause. Before jumping to solutions or disciplinary measures, a great leader seeks to understand the underlying issues.

Questions to explore:

• Is the employee unclear about expectations?

• Do they have the skills—but not the confidence?

• Are there external stressors impacting performance?

• Have responsibilities changed without adequate support?

• Is there an attitude, behaviour, or engagement issue?

• Has the leader unintentionally contributed through poor communication, shifting priorities, or lack of guidance?

Effective performance development starts with clarity. You can’t fix what you don’t understand, and assumptions erode trust.

2. Re‑Establish Clarity: Expectations, Standards, and Success Measures

A staff member cannot improve what they cannot see.

Clarify the following:

• What good performance looks like

• The specific gaps between current performance and expectations

• The behaviours that need to change (not just tasks)

• Non-negotiables and areas with flexibility

• The timeline for improvement

• How success will be measured

This isn’t about criticism—it’s about alignment.

Employees who are failing often feel overwhelmed, confused, or ashamed. Clear expectations create psychological safety and provide a path forward.

3. Build a Supportive Development Plan (Not a Punitive One)

A struggling team member doesn’t need punishment—they need structure.

A strong development plan includes:

• Targeted skill development (training, shadowing, coaching)

• Regular check-ins (weekly or fortnightly)

• Clear milestones to show progress

• Access to tools or resources they may be lacking

• Opportunities to ask questions without fear

• Documented responsibilities and outcomes

• Realistic timelines that still uphold accountability

This transforms improvement from a vague hope into a guided, supported process.

4. Coach, Don’t Command

A leader’s mindset is crucial. When someone is failing, they’re often frustrated, embarrassed, and defensive. Coaching cuts through that.

Coaching in these moments includes:

• Asking reflective questions

• Helping them identify barriers and solutions

• Encouraging ownership, not dependence

• Praising progress—no matter how small

• Keeping them focused on learning, not fear

• Reinforcing belief in their ability to improve

Great leaders coach for capability, not compliance.

5. Provide Consistent, Honest, and Compassionate Feedback

Feedback must be timely, specific, and actionable. Avoiding feedback doesn’t protect the employee—it sets them up for deeper failure.

Strong developmental feedback sounds like:

• “Here’s what I’m seeing…”

• “Here’s the impact…”

• “Here’s what needs to change…”

• “And here’s how I’m going to support you…”

It is both courageous and kind—never vague, passive, or emotional.

And importantly: give as much attention to what’s improving as to what still needs work.

6. Encourage Accountability Without Shame

Accountability is not punishment.Accountability is ownership.

Help the employee see that improvement is a shared responsibility—but the change ultimately belongs to them.

Use accountability statements like:

• “I’m here to support you, but this change depends on you.”

• “Let’s look at what you can control right now.”

• “How will you take the lead on this next step?”

Accountability creates empowerment—shame destroys it.

7. Protect the Team While Supporting the Individual

Supporting a struggling employee cannot come at the cost of team morale or work quality.

Leaders must:

• Rebalance workloads if necessary

• Communicate expectations clearly across the team

• Maintain standards consistently

• Avoid creating “exceptions” that others resent

Your role is to lift the person without lowering the bar.

8. Know When It’s Performance Management, Not Development

Despite the best intentions, not every employee will improve.

A leader’s responsibility is twofold:

• Develop people where possible, and

• Protect the organisation and team when necessary

If progress is insufficient:

• Move formally to performance management

• Document every step

• Continue to treat the employee with dignity

• Remain objective, fair, and consistent

Performance management is not failure—it’s clarity, structure, and honesty.

9. Celebrate Wins and Build Confidence

When improvement happens, celebrate it—privately and sometimes publicly (if appropriate).

Growth builds confidence.Confidence builds momentum.Momentum builds performance.

And often, the employees who once struggled become some of the strongest contributors because they’ve developed resilience and self-awareness through the process.

Final Thought: Leadership Is Measured in Difficult Moments

Every leader can guide high performers.Only great leaders can grow struggling ones.

Supporting someone who’s failing requires:

• Compassion

• Structure

• Courage

• Patience

• High standards

• Accountability

• Belief

When you help someone rise from a place of difficulty, you don’t just improve their performance—you transform their future.

And that is the true work of leadership.