The difference between productive and uber-productive employees comes down to one critical trait.

Some employees have it, and some just don’t.

The employees who have it are incredible. They don’t stop until the job is done. Then they come back for more. They treat every project like it’s a life-or-death matter. They get things done faster than you can stack the responsibilities.

These folks are gold. They’re magic. They’re the best thing that’ll ever happen to your business.

What these special employees have is incredibly powerful. They are motivated, energized, and focused. They get things done. They’re willing to make decisions, learn new things, and take calculated risks.

They do it with positivity, politeness, and energy. They bring others along for the ride because their passion is inspirational. They get that it’s more effective to share the burden, and they inspire others to follow.

What these employees bring to the table is like rocket fuel. When you get one on your team, hang on to that person as long as possible. That’s hard, but it’s not impossible. Others will spot these talented rock stars and will try to poach them.

I’m not suggesting that others on your team aren’t incredibly productive. Hopefully you have a bunch of great team members getting things done and making a difference in the lives of your clients.

But these uber-productive folks are special. They’re unusual. They’re hard to find, and they bring a unique quality to the workplace.

What’s the thing they bring? What makes them special?

Uber-Productive Employees Bring an Ownership Mentality

They act like they own the place. But it’s not an act. From day one, they see the business like you see the business. They view your business, and their place in it, differently from others.

They feel like they own the practice. They likely don’t own it because you haven’t granted them an interest (yet). But they come to the table prepared to act like an owner. That’s the way they are wired. That’s how they see the world and their place in it.

They feel responsible. They feel obligated. They feel the pressure of doing the job right, and they rise and fall, emotionally, with the success and struggles of the business.

They ARE owners of the business, even if the paperwork doesn’t reflect it.

Typical employees don’t behave like an owner. They see the world differently.

Most employees feel owned by the business. They play the part of the reactor. They feel that decisions are made by others and imposed upon them. They wait to be told what to do. They assume there are rights and wrongs and that someone else knows the difference.

Employees who act like owners have a dramatically different mind-set.

The owners understand their role in making decisions. They understand the burden of that responsibility. They appreciate the authority and the consequences of their miscalculations. They know they won’t always be right, but they’re willing to take a chance, create something better, and keep at it until it works. And they’re willing to do it as an employee.

As you collect these special people and bring them onto your team, you grow. Revenue climbs, clients get happier, referrals increase, and profits expand.

More significantly, as you bring someone with an ownership mentality to the team, you feel less alone. The burden lifts. You become free to be creative, think through alternatives, and plan for what’s next.

These special people bring much more than productivity to the mix. They change the culture, they brighten your outlook, and they help you find the path to success for the entire team.

But Sometimes We Resist Their Contributions

For many of us, there’s a temptation to react negatively to employees with the ownership mentality. We hire them, usually by accident because we don’t realize who they really are, and then we suppress their flame.

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That’s a gigantic mistake. Instead, you should fuel the flame, fan the flame, and grow the flame, but don’t kill it. The flame shows you the way forward.

It’s our business. We want control. That urge is strong. We’re bull-headed. We want to run the show even when we’re drowning.

Don’t do it. Resist your urge. Step back.

Without even realizing it, we have a tendency to…

• Discourage them, tell them to slow down, and ask them to wait.
• Leave them out.
• Feel criticized.
• Embarrass them for overstepping.
• Shoot down their ideas.
• Perceive them as a threat to our authority.
• Deprive them of information.
• Bring them down a notch.
• Withhold credit for their achievements.
• Get in their way.

Of course, you’d never react that way to a hard-charging, driven, motivated employee, right? I might. In fact, I have. It’s embarrassing when I see it now from a distance. It felt right at the time.

Even today, I still resist the rock stars. It’s hard to change my instant reaction to these situations. The best I can do is remind myself to pause before reacting. It’s a mindfulness game, and I don’t always win. Sometimes, I push back when they drive forward. I don’t even realize it. I hold on to my old way of thinking.

It’s easy to behave badly when I feel vulnerable. It’s a short step to a snarky remark when I feel out of control. It’s easy to respond negatively when others get the credit for the thing I’ve been building after they swoop in and take it up a notch.

I do all of that, and I get it. I’m wrong. My instant, emotional reaction is counterproductive. Intellectually, I understand the value of my rock stars, appreciate the energy they bring, and believe they are critical to our growth, but that doesn’t always offset my emotional reactions. Emotions aren’t always rational, right?

Our emotions are, more often than not, the key to the growth of our business and the biggest single impediment to our growth.

Our reactions—when not properly considered—can stop these special employees in their tracks. It’s rarely our competition that gets in our way. It’s ourselves.

These rock stars are trying to move us forward. We must get out of the way, or they’ll soon be moving someone else forward. They’re so good that they have options. When they don’t have options, they make them. They’re not sticking around unless you do your part, get out of their way, and let them do what owners do: build the business.

How to Keep Your Rock Star Employees Around

To keep employees with the ownership mentality on board, first, be hyperaware of the list above. Doing the things I mention below will not offset, diminish, or counteract the behaviors listed above.

It takes a long time to nurture a relationship. It takes only an instant to destroy it. Don’t break the relationship. Nurture it. Once it’s broken, it’s difficult to repair.

These rock stars need some love. Here’s a starting place…

1. Praise Them

For a long time, the highest praise I could offer, in my mind, was a paycheck. Employees get paid every two weeks, so why do I have to say more? That mind-set led to lots of turnover. Praise is free. It’s good for them, and it’s good for you. Loosen up and spread the word that good work is appreciated.

2. Encourage Them

Things don’t always turn out as planned. Praise the effort. Look for successes along the road. Let them know that you’re in it with them and that you appreciate their work. Be encouraging, be positive, bring pizza for the late-night crunch, and tell them how great they’re doing (even when things look bleak).

3. Reward Them

When things go well, be generous. Don’t limit rewards to just praise. Buy the plane ticket for the vacation, order the book you know they’d love, and send them to the continuing education program that’s really just a paid umbrella-drink vacation.

What is perceived as a reward varies from person to person. One person is thrilled with a book as a gift; another perceives it as assigned work. Get to know your rock stars so you’ll know what’s best.

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4. Brag About Them

Tell the clients, your spouse, the judge, opposing counsel, the Rotary Club, and anybody else who’ll listen about what a great job your rock stars do. Spread the word. Don’t keep it a secret. Yep, bragging increases their value in the marketplace and makes it more likely that someone will offer them a job, but do it anyway. They’ll appreciate it, and they deserve it.

5. Thank Them

Sit them down. Close the door. Look in their eyes and thank them for what they’re doing. Shake their hand. Tell them how much you appreciate it.

Saying “thank you” is more powerful than we imagine. It doesn’t have to be accompanied by a check or a fruit basket. Taking the time, focusing on the task, and communicating your gratitude sincerely is powerful all by itself.

6. Allow Them to Take Risks

Trusting your rock stars is powerful and affirming. It won’t always work out, but it’s worth doing.

When you take risks, things don’t always go according to plan. Likewise, things won’t always go according to plan for rock stars. All movement comes with risk. Constraining risk constrains the rewards.

Yes, our lawyer personality freaks out when risk is involved. We want our fingers in the mix in case anything goes wrong. But that limits the opportunities for your business. Assume that your rock stars can handle some risk. Then man up and take the blame when it doesn’t work out.

7. Ask for Their Feedback

Your rock stars have lots of ideas about how you can do better. In fact, your rock stars want you to step up, get out of your own way, and be more effective. Ask for honest, open feedback and let it happen. Say “thank you” and don’t explain yourself. Take some time to let it sink in and do what you can to improve. You’re on the same team. It’s not mean-spirited criticism; it’s constructive.

8. Respect Them

Rock stars get respect because they earn it. Treat your rock stars as your peers. Treat your rock stars as equals. Treat your rock stars better than you’d like to be treated. You can’t fake it. Your rock stars will know. Understand that the rock-star qualities are rare. Rock stars deserve the special treatment.

9. Ask for Advice

Don’t assume you know the answers or have the solutions. Turn to your ownership-minded employees for help when you need it. Get input, ask for advice, and then act upon it.

Your rock stars see things more clearly sometimes because they aren’t affected by the same emotions as you. Listen to their input. You’re lucky to have people so interested that they’ll offer an opinion. Then either take their advice or create an alternative plan together.

10. Give Them Credit

When the wins come—and they’ll come more as you build a team of rock stars—give them the credit. Thank them, praise them, brag about them, and reserve none of the credit for yourself. Give it all away. It’s the most powerful gift you can offer.

11. Take the Blame

Rock stars screw up. They’ll screw up even bigger if you give them the authority they need to make the big decisions. Give them that authority anyway.

Expect a disaster from time to time, because it probably would have happened even if you retained the authority for yourself. When it comes, take the blame. Debrief in private, figure out where it went wrong, and learn from the experience. Model great leadership behavior so your rock stars will learn—this time—from you.

12. Empower Them

Give your rock stars room to do their job. How much? More room than makes you comfortable. Give them authority over decisions you might otherwise reserve for yourself.

Give them budget authority that makes you worry. Authorize them to make purchases, hire team members, fire people, and interact with clients. It’s OK to feel a bit out of control. Push yourself to let them bring their best to your firm.

13. Inform Them

Keep your rock stars in the loop. Let them know about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Don’t keep secrets. They can’t help you fix problems if they aren’t aware.

If rock stars learn that they’re out of the loop, it might undermine the relationship. Keeping them informed won’t always be easy, but it’s the only way to keep the business moving forward with everyone on board.

14. Change Policies That Treat Them Like Employees

Policies and procedures are good. But consider the impact of policies that treat employees, especially those who exhibit ownership behavior, like children.

Don’t expect your rock star, who worked until midnight fixing a problem, to be in the chair at 8:00 AM the next morning. Policies make sense until they don’t. Make sure your policies give your people the room to do what needs doing without being burdened by dumb rules.

15. Give Them Ownership

Sharing ownership in a law firm is easy when your rock stars are lawyers. It’s harder when you’re trying to share ownership with someone who doesn’t have a law license.

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Some firms create phantom stock share plans where ownership is shared symbolically. Some create separate entities owning the administrative support services and share ownership in that distinct entity.

However you do it, your goal with any such plan is to incentivize and reward your rock stars for growing the size of the pie. You’re not giving away any of your pie; you’re making the pie bigger. This is win/win when you have rock stars who want literal ownership.

16. Be There for Them

Rock stars have personal lives. Things go wrong. Be there to take care of them when they need it. Maintain communication with these folks. Check in with them and listen to what’s happening in their lives, remember it, and follow up. Go to the hospital when they get sick. Attend the funeral of the loved one who passes away. Go to the wedding and send a big gift.

Your Rock Stars Deserve Nurturing Because They Earn It

Rock stars add value beyond their own labor. Their mentality is contagious. They influence others. They change the culture, turbocharging the team and creating an environment where people want to work.

The rest of your team watches how you treat these individuals. They respect the rock stars. Relationships form across the team. You need to nurture all of it.

Your rock stars model the behavior you want from your other employees. They put clients first. They step across roles to solve problems. They fulfill their commitments, even at personal sacrifice. They come in early, stay late, and stick with the project until it’s done. They do whatever is necessary (kind of like you).

If you build your rock stars up, your firm will grow along with them.