Demand ≠ Demean

Leadership takes many styles (e.g., servant, transformational, delegative). And everyone flourishes under different methods. One thing I’ve been thinking of is how you elevate your team — raising the standard of excellence.

How can a leader foster a culture of high performance without burning morale?

I realize there’s a healthy tension to build greatness. As a leader, you can expect a high bar (demand), but you must never resort to cutting someone down (demean).

Something along the lines of this:
"We want to get to X, and I know you can get there. I believe in you—you’re great at ABC. What can we do to get there? And how can I help?”

What language have you (or a leader you admired) used to strike the right balance?