Performing People vs. Performative People: A Leader’s Guide to Building Real Culture

When Doing the Work Isn’t Enough

Every leader eventually meets that one employee who seems to always be around—visible, vocal, and somehow always in the spotlight. They talk about initiatives, promote their contributions, and sound like they’re leading the charge. But when the dust settles, the tangible results just aren’t there.

Then there’s another type—the quiet professional who rarely seeks attention. They execute, deliver, and move on to the next challenge. They’re not flashy. They’re steady. Reliable. They perform.

That contrast between performing and performative people shapes the culture of every organization, whether leaders realize it or not. One builds momentum; the other drains it. Understanding that difference—and leading through it—is one of the most important responsibilities any leader has.

The Real Performer: Quiet Power

Performing people aren’t defined by how loud they are, how often they’re seen, or how well they play the political game. They’re defined by consistency, ownership, and purpose.

They show up because the mission matters to them. They hold themselves accountable whether anyone’s watching or not. They don’t need constant validation, and they don’t chase visibility. Their value speaks for itself through outcomes, not optics.

What I’ve learned about true performers is that they’re not always the ones with the spotlight—they’re the ones holding everything together behind the scenes. They take the time to understand the “why” behind their work. They ask better questions. They elevate others.

Performing people thrive in environments that value trust over theatrics. Give them clear expectations, space to operate, and honest feedback, and they’ll deliver every time. When these people feel seen and supported, they become the backbone of an organization’s credibility.

The Performative Trap: Image Over Impact

Performative people, on the other hand, live for perception. Their focus is external—how they look rather than what they do. Their actions are driven by how things will be received instead of whether they’ll make a real difference.

They speak in buzzwords, volunteer for visibility, and love being seen as “in the know.” They may even have genuine talent, but it’s often overshadowed by their constant need to be perceived as valuable.

Underneath that behavior, there’s usually a mix of insecurity and ambition. Some performative people are trying to mask a lack of competence. Others are simply chasing approval in environments that reward noise more than results. Either way, the intent is misaligned with the organization’s mission.

The danger is subtle. Because performative people look productive, they often slip through a leader’s radar—at least at first. They’re good at optics: visible in meetings, active on chat threads, constantly “collaborating.” But their contributions, when measured, often don’t move the needle.

And when performative behavior goes unchecked, it spreads. It tells the team, “Appearance matters more than accountability.” That’s when real performance begins to fade.

When Optics Replace Outcomes

A performative culture doesn’t collapse overnight—it erodes slowly. It begins when leaders confuse visibility with value. Suddenly, the loudest voices are treated as the most competent ones.

The real performers notice first. They see who’s getting recognition without delivering results, and it chips away at their motivation. They start thinking, “Why bother doing the hard work if the show is what gets rewarded?”

That’s where burnout and disengagement take root.
Performative people, meanwhile, thrive in this environment because it validates their approach. They double down on optics—more status updates, more meetings, more “collaboration.” The energy shifts from achieving to appearing.

Leaders can also fall into the trap of reinforcing this dynamic unintentionally. A well-meaning “Great job!” in a public chat for something half-done can signal that surface-level work is good enough.

Over time, the organization becomes louder but less effective. Deadlines stretch. Accountability blurs. The line between progress and performance art disappears.

If leaders don’t intervene, they’ll eventually find themselves surrounded by people who can talk about success but can’t deliver it. Or worse, have actual performers looking for their next opportunity.

Spotting the Difference

Recognizing performing vs. performative people isn’t about personality type—it’s about patterns. Here’s what I’ve learned to look for.

Performers:

• Deliver results consistently without broadcasting every step.

• Speak less, execute more.

• Own mistakes quickly and correct them quietly.

• Uplift others and give credit freely.

• Focus on the team’s goals more than personal recognition.

Performatives:

• Over-communicate success and under-deliver on outcomes.

• Avoid accountability with deflection or polished explanations.

• Seek public validation frequently.

• Overuse trendy phrases without grounding them in action.

• Attach themselves to visible projects but disappear when the real work begins.

Over time, these differences become easy to see. But there are also subtypes that every leader should recognize early:

• The Spotlight Seeker: Craves attention and recognition, often volunteering for visible work but resisting follow-through.

• The Credit Collector: Inserts themselves at the finish line, subtly positioning as a key contributor.

• The Buzzword Artist: Masters the language of progress but rarely delivers measurable impact.

• The Over-Communicator: Mistakes activity for productivity, filling the air with constant updates that lack substance.

Once you’ve seen these behaviors enough times, you can’t unsee them. And as a leader, you can’t ignore them either.

Coaching the Performative

Not every performative person is a lost cause. In many cases, they’ve simply learned that visibility equals safety. It’s a coping mechanism—one reinforced by environments where recognition is uneven or unclear.

As leaders, we have two responsibilities: to correct behavior and to create a space where authenticity is rewarded more than performance art.

Start by focusing on impact, not intent. Instead of saying, “You need to be more genuine,” say, “I need you to focus your energy on measurable results. Let’s define what success looks like for this task.”
Specificity cuts through defensiveness.

Next, tie recognition to substance. Publicly praise outcomes, not optics. Celebrate the person who quietly fixed a long-standing issue—not just the one who presented the PowerPoint. People notice what leaders celebrate, and that’s what they’ll model.

Then, model authenticity yourself. Admit when you don’t know something. Give credit freely. Ask for feedback. When leaders show it’s safe to be human, people stop performing for approval and start performing for purpose.

Finally, build a coaching habit around curiosity. Instead of assuming performative people are manipulative, approach them with genuine interest:

• “What drives you to volunteer for so many projects?”

• “What kind of recognition feels most meaningful to you?”

You’ll often find the behavior stems from a lack of clear connection to purpose or outcomes.

If coaching fails and the behavior continues, be clear and firm. Performative behavior that undermines trust or progress is a cultural toxin. You can be empathetic without being permissive.

Building a Performing Culture

You can’t create a high-performing team by accident. You have to design for it.

That starts with clarity. People need to understand what “good” looks like in measurable, behavioral terms. When goals are vague, perception fills the gap—and performative behavior thrives there.

Next, build systems that reward consistency over charisma. Highlight those who follow through, not just those who start strong. Showcase results in all-hands meetings that came from collaboration, not individual spotlight moments.

Foster psychological safety. People shouldn’t feel like they need to “perform” to be noticed. They should feel empowered to experiment, fail, and grow. When employees believe authenticity is valued, they bring their best—not their most polished—selves.

Encourage real communication. That means more listening sessions, fewer performative check-ins. Ask questions that dig below the surface, like:

• “What’s one thing we could do better next time?”

• “What barriers are slowing you down?”

It’s amazing how quickly performative behavior loses its appeal when the environment rewards honesty over appearances.

And most importantly, be consistent. Culture isn’t built by slogans—it’s built by repetition. Every time you choose to recognize quiet excellence or challenge shallow theatrics, you’re reinforcing the message that performance matters more than performance art.

Leading with Authenticity

At its core, this isn’t just about managing people—it’s about managing culture. Leaders have to set the tone for what’s celebrated, tolerated, and corrected.

Performers thrive under leaders who care about impact. Performative people thrive under leaders who care about image. That’s the real divide.

So ask yourself: what are you rewarding? Who are you promoting? Whose behaviors are being mirrored across your organization? Those answers will tell you whether you’re building a culture of performance—or a stage full of performances.

The truth is, most people don’t start off performative. They become that way when leaders make visibility feel more valuable than contribution. But that also means leaders can reverse it—by leading with humility, clarity, and authenticity.

As I’ve learned over the years, the loudest person in the room isn’t always leading. Sometimes, they’re just performing. The real leaders—the real performers—are the ones creating space for others to shine, quietly building trust and results in the background.

And if you want a team that lasts, that’s the energy you nurture. Because while performative people build noise, performing people build legacy.