Unlocking High Performance

Jason Lauritsen
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

Unlocking High Performance is a podcast for leaders who want strong results without burning their people out in the process. Hosted by Jason Lauritsen, the show explores how clarity, alignment, and connection shape performance at work. Jason draws from his work with CEOs, executive teams, and leaders to examine why work so often becomes heavier, slower, and more frustrating than it needs to be and how to fix it. Some episodes are solo reflections. Others are conversations with leaders and practitioners navigating real constraints and consequences. Each conversation looks beyond tactics to understand the leadership and organizational conditions that make performance possible. The podcast focuses on the systems that drive performance, not leadership theory or quick fixes. Listeners will walk away with a clearer understanding of how work actually gets done and how to build environments where people perform at their best.

  1. Introducing the Connected Performance Group

    5d ago

    Introducing the Connected Performance Group

    In this episode, Jason does something a little different and talks through his own business, newly relaunched as Connected Performance Group. He shares why he rebuilt the way he works with clients, and lays out the system he developed over two decades for getting at the root of performance problems instead of just the surface. If you've followed his work for years but were never quite sure what he actually does for organizations, this is the episode that answers it. You can learn more and schedule an exploratory conversation at https://connectedperformancegroup.com — JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/59nrvxnj — Connect with Jason Lauritsen: Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/ #UnlockingHighPerformance #JasonLauritsen #Management #Leadership

    22 min
  2. Your Leadership Blind Spots Are Hiding in Plain Sight

    Jun 3

    Your Leadership Blind Spots Are Hiding in Plain Sight

    Everyone carries a particular way of seeing the world. It's shaped by where we grew up, how we were taught, and the experiences we’ve collected along the way. Most of the time, it goes unnoticed. But that lens shapes how situations get read, how people get judged, and how someone leads. When it goes unexamined, it can become a dangerous blind spot for leaders. In this solo episode, Jason looks at how the lens through which we see the world can become a leadership liability. He shares a training experience that challenged a belief he'd held for years about what good management looks like. It's the kind of belief that feels like plain common sense until someone gives you a reason to question it. What he learned changed how he thinks about supporting the people on his team. Key highlights from the conversation: ➡️Why the way you see the world is never neutral, even when it feels like common sense. ➡️The belief about checking in on your team that Jason had to rethink. ➡️How our lenses lead us to dismiss new ideas and judge people too quickly. ➡️Two practical ways to broaden your perspective and lead more effectively. — JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/59nrvxnj — Connect with Jason Lauritsen: Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/ #UnlockingHighPerformance #JasonLauritsen #HRLeaders

    16 min
  3. Proud Employees Don't Need to Be Pushed with Chris Sund

    May 28

    Proud Employees Don't Need to Be Pushed with Chris Sund

    In this episode of Unlocking High Performance, Jason is joined by Chris Sund, President and CEO of UnityMed and GQR Healthcare and COO of Nebula. Chris leads a distributed workforce across healthcare staffing, recruiting, and AI-powered talent solutions, and he shares how his teams treat experience design as a deliberate, structured part of the business. At a time when many workplaces are leaning harder into productivity pressure, Jason and Chris explore a different perspective. They push back on the idea that fun, care, and connection somehow compete with performance. Instead, Chris makes the case that proud, connected employees often do their best work because they actually want to. Key highlights from the conversation include: 👉 How Chris and his leadership team turned experience into a company-wide thematic goal across employees, candidates, and clients 👉 Why looking for friction is one of the most practical ways Chris's team improves both customer and employee experience 👉 The kinds of shared moments, from Mario Kart in the parking lot to birthday celebrations, that become the core memories employees actually remember 👉 Why leaders should sometimes let employees run with an imperfect idea instead of stepping in with a "better" one 👉 Chris's perspective on the link between employee pride, coachability, and sustained performance — Linkedin: Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophersund/ — JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/59nrvxnj — Connect with Jason Lauritsen: Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/ #UnlockingHighPerformance #JasonLauritsen #HRLeaders

    32 min
  4. The Golden Rule of Management Behind High-Performing Teams

    May 20

    The Golden Rule of Management Behind High-Performing Teams

    In this solo episode of Unlocking High Performance, Jason unpacks one of the most important drivers of team performance: clarity. He describes a pattern he’s seen repeated across organizations of every size. Leaders get frustrated with team members who seem unmotivated or off track, when the real issue is that they have not been clear about what's expected. Jason makes the case that clarity, not motivation, is the real fuel behind strong performance. When leaders assume their people understand expectations, they often create the very friction they're trying to avoid. This episode offers two simple practices that any leader can use to build real clarity with individuals and teams, including what Jason calls “The Golden Rule of Management.” Key highlights from the conversation include: 👉Why most performance problems are actually clarity problems in disguise, and how leaders mistakenly label them as character or motivation issues 👉The two practices of clarity every leader can put into action to strengthen performance and reduce friction on their team 👉Why writing things down forces a level of clarity that talking alone never can 👉How the practice of comparing notes reveals the gap between assumed clarity and the real thing inside a team 👉A practical example of how a leadership team can use comparing notes to align on what it means to be a leader in their organization 👉The hidden cost of skipping clarity work, including wasted time, repeated conversations, and damaged trust between leaders and their teams — JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/59nrvxnj — Connect with Jason Lauritsen: Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/ #UnlockingHighPerformance #JasonLauritsen #HRLeaders

    12 min
  5. Why Job Descriptions No Longer Fit Modern Work with Lisa Sterling

    May 7

    Why Job Descriptions No Longer Fit Modern Work with Lisa Sterling

    Join Jason Lauritsen as he sits down with Lisa Sterling, Chief People Officer at Perceptyx, for a conversation about why the traditional job description has run its course and what becomes possible when leaders stop trying to fit people into predetermined boxes. Lisa argues that job descriptions are a century-old artifact, originally built for factories that needed standardized, repeatable work. We are still using that same container to hold modern jobs, and it no longer fits. When we start deconstructing our jobs, we make room for people to do the work they are actually great at, and that is where real performance starts. Key highlights from the conversation include: 👉 Why the job description is an industrial era container that no longer holds modern work, and what it takes to start rebuilding roles around tasks instead 👉 A behind-the-scenes look at the hackathon Lisa ran with her people team to break work into tasks, surface hidden strengths, and decide what AI could automate or augment 👉 How matching work to people's genius zones surfaces hidden strengths, improves retention, and gets more out of the team without adding headcount 👉 How Lisa is rethinking compensation, career ladders, and job architecture when titles and levels stop driving the work 👉 A more honest way to frame the AI conversation by focusing on tasks rather than jobs, which makes the question less scary and far more useful Connect with Lisa: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamsterling/ --- JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/59nrvxnj -- Connect with Jason Lauritsen: Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/

    37 min
  6. The 5 Drivers of Employee Performance

    Apr 29

    The 5 Drivers of Employee Performance

    In this solo episode, Jason shares the framework he calls the Five Drivers of Performance. It is what he has distilled from years of real-world leadership advising, and it challenges one of the most persistent assumptions leaders make when performance breaks down. Jason unpacks what actually drives employee performance and why most leaders misdiagnose it. He walks through each of the five drivers, from the most common to the least, and explains how to tell which one you are dealing with. Key highlights from the conversation include: 👉 Clarity is the most common cause of underperformance, and most leaders are far less clear with their people than they think they are. 👉 Feedback failures are the second most frequent driver, often invisible to the leader until the damage is already done. 👉 Know-how gaps appear when someone understands what is expected but genuinely lacks the skills to deliver it. 👉 Capability issues arise when someone is in the wrong role for who they are, regardless of how much support they receive. 👉 Desire and motivation are rarely the real problem, and when the other four drivers are addressed, they tend to take care of themselves. Download the Clarity Check-In Process here: 📝 https://schedule.jasonlauritsen.com/widget/form/wtzmGOMCMigAyG3OFAz0 JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://schedule.jasonlauritsen.com/widget/form/X0TvQvV1hu3kDlyy6fRe -- Connect with Jason Lauritsen: Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/

    22 min
  7. How Clarity at the Top Makes Culture Actually Work with Melissa Moore

    Apr 22

    How Clarity at the Top Makes Culture Actually Work with Melissa Moore

    In this episode, Jason sits down with Melissa Moore, the first People and Culture Executive hired at Ampere Computing before their rapid growth. Together, they unpack how intentional leadership, values operationalization, and a relentless focus on clarity helped build a high-performance culture as the company scaled from 275 employees to over 1,400 across six countries. Key highlights from the conversation include: 👉 Clarity at the top is non-negotiable: How CEO Renee James established a clear vision and values before the people function even existed, and why that foundation made everything else possible. 👉 Values without behavior are just words: The process Ampere used to translate values into specific, agreed-upon behaviors, then embed them into hiring, performance, and recognition from day one. 👉 Leaders have to live it too: How Ampere kept its leadership team accountable to the same values they expected from everyone else, including tying culture fit to promotion and progression decisions. 👉 Culture belongs in the operating model, not just HR: How Ampere wired its values into the R&D methodology, engineering cadence, and annual roadmap, not just people programs. 👉 Belonging isn't enough, people need to matter: Why feeling included falls short, and what it actually takes for employees to feel valued, see their impact, and stay connected to the work. *** Connect with Melissa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissammoore1/ *** JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK. 📌 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://schedule.jasonlauritsen.com/widget/form/X0TvQvV1hu3kDlyy6fRe Connect with Jason: Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/ YouTube: youtube.com/@jasonlauritsenvideo LinkedIn: linkedin.com/jasonlauritsen Instagram: instagram.com/jasonlauritsen

    25 min
  8. Why Don’t People Come With User’s Manuals?

    Apr 15

    Why Don’t People Come With User’s Manuals?

    In this solo episode, Jason introduces a practical team exercise called the personal user's manual. The concept is simple. It's a way for each person on a team to document how they work best so their teammates don't have to guess. We have instructions for nearly everything we own. But when it comes to the people we work with every day, there's no guide. No clear way to know how someone prefers to communicate, when they're focused and offline, what kind of feedback lands well for them, or what quietly drives them up the wall. That gap creates unnecessary friction. The personal user's manual is a low-effort, high-value practice that closes it. Key highlights from the conversation include 👉 What a personal user's manual is and how Jason first came across the practice more than 15 years ago 👉 The core categories worth including in a team template: work schedule and style, communication preferences, feedback and recognition, strengths, and personal pet peeves 👉 Why recognition preferences are more personal than most leaders assume and how asking the right question upfront saves a lot of awkwardness late 👉 A clear walkthrough of how to run the practice, from building a template to hosting a team conversation where people can ask questions and get curious about each other 👉 The specific team situations where this tends to have the biggest payoff, including newer teams, teams navigating change, and managers stepping into a role for the first time. Additional resources for Personal Users Manuals: https://slack.com/blog/collaboration/how-personal-operating-manuals-can-help-you-build-a-stronger-team-at-work https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/my-user-manual?tab=instructions JOIN THOUSANDS OF LEADERS WHO ARE HARNESSING THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS AT WORK. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://schedule.jasonlauritsen.com/widget/form/7l0SZfguXO4LGn1rtmHd Connect with Jason Lauritsen: Website: https://jasonlauritsen.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonlauritsen/

    17 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Unlocking High Performance is a podcast for leaders who want strong results without burning their people out in the process. Hosted by Jason Lauritsen, the show explores how clarity, alignment, and connection shape performance at work. Jason draws from his work with CEOs, executive teams, and leaders to examine why work so often becomes heavier, slower, and more frustrating than it needs to be and how to fix it. Some episodes are solo reflections. Others are conversations with leaders and practitioners navigating real constraints and consequences. Each conversation looks beyond tactics to understand the leadership and organizational conditions that make performance possible. The podcast focuses on the systems that drive performance, not leadership theory or quick fixes. Listeners will walk away with a clearer understanding of how work actually gets done and how to build environments where people perform at their best.

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Lauritsen
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    71
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Jason Lauritsen
  • Show Website
    Unlocking High Performance