When High Performers Go Wrong: Why Performance Isn’t Everything | Shailendra

What happens when your highest performer is also hurting the team? In this episode of Middle Manager Mastery, I sit down with Shailendra Singh, a senior business leader with 18+ years of experience across e-commerce, retail, and FMCG, including leadership roles at Hindustan Unilever and Nykaa. Shailendra shares what he learned from inheriting a struggling team, dealing with a high performer whose behaviour was damaging team dynamics, coaching low performers into stronger contributors, and building teams from the ground up. One of the key frameworks he shares is the difference between will and skill - and why managers need to look beyond someone's current performance to understand their intent, potential, and ability to work with others. Timestamps 01:23 - Inheriting a struggling team at Nykaa 04:00 - Why managers need to start from the ground up 05:42 - What to look for when assessing a team 08:23 - When a high performer becomes a problem 10:15 - Having difficult conversations as a manager 11:16 - When letting someone go may be the right decision 12:36 - The "Will vs. Skill" framework 13:00 - Understanding the root cause of poor performance 15:50 - Why people switch managers, not organizations 16:58 - How to build a team from scratch 20:01 - Key lessons for middle managers 20:35 - Why will can matter more than skill 21:24 - The human side of leadership 22:00 - Your team is your multiplier 22:40 - Closing thoughts If you're a middle manager, first-time leader, or someone responsible for building and developing teams, this conversation offers practical lessons you can apply directly to your leadership journey. 🎙️ Guest: Shailendra Rusingh 🎙️ Host: Shruti Rustagi 🎧 Podcast: Middle Manager Mastery