Most Performance Problems Are Belief Problems in Disguise

I was pretty scared starting my career.

Am I good enough as a software developer? Can I really figure out all these new technologies as quickly as my boss expects? What happens if I get something wrong, will they fire me?

Those negative thought patterns and limiting beliefs swirled around my head during my first year out of college. Even when I put in my best effort and saw positive results, I still felt a lack of confidence.

Things shifted when I opened up to one of my managers and explained why I was hesitant to reach out, ask questions, and step up for bigger tasks. Through that conversation and many follow-ups that I pushed for, I started questioning my own beliefs and asking what would need to change for me to feel more confident.

In effect, I was coaching myself through my early career. I was fortunate to have leadership development experiences behind me, so I had some tools to work with. As I stepped into technical manager roles, I started seeing those same limiting beliefs and fears in other people.

One of my most rewarding early career experiences was creating an environment, through coaching, feedback, and support, where new software engineers could grow quickly. I did not want them to struggle internally the way I had. That experience helped me realize that most performance issues I see on teams are not skill or drive problems. They are belief problems in disguise.

On the surface it looks like this:

• The manager who never delegates.

• The high performer who avoids conflict.

• The director who says yes to everything and is always behind.

• The quiet team member who never shares an idea in the room.

It’s easy to label those as capability or personality gaps. Those labels might be directionally correct for the behavior, but they miss what’s actually driving it.

Underneath, there’s almost always a belief.

• “If I hand this off and it goes badly, it will all fall on me.”

• “If I push back, I will be seen as difficult or ungrateful.”

• “If I say no, people will think I am not committed.”

• “If I speak up and I am wrong, I will look foolish.”

You can give all the feedback you want on behavior. If the belief does not change, the behavior will not stick. As leaders, we’re not responsible for rewriting every belief someone carries. We’re responsible for noticing when a belief is capping someone’s impact and, sometimes, helping them test and reset it.

That starts with paying attention to patterns, really listening to what someone says, and asking questions instead of jumping straight to advice or criticism.

We talk a lot about mindset as an individual project. In reality, the beliefs people carry about themselves, their leaders, and their work are shaping your culture every day. As a senior leader, you can either design with that in mind or leave it to chance.