How To Challenge Your Team To Do Better Without Discouraging Them
Great leaders don’t just point out problems—they call their people to a higher standard in a way that inspires growth, ownership, and confidence. This concept, known as calling up instead of calling out, shifts the focus from criticism and blame to encouragement and challenge.
When leaders call someone out, the person on the receiving end often experiences it as personal, public, or punitive—feeling like the leader is against them or acting for themselves. But when leaders call up, the experience is different. The team member feels that the leader is for them—helping them rise to their full potential.
Let’s explore how leaders with each of the 5 Voices—Nurturer, Creative, Guardian, Connector, and Pioneer—can call their people up in ways that align with their natural strengths.
Nurturer Leaders: Calling Up with Care
Nurturers are naturally relational and protective of their team. Their challenge is often avoiding conflict, but calling people up doesn’t have to feel confrontational—it can be an act of care.
✅ Calling Up Example: Instead of avoiding a difficult conversation, a Nurturer leader might say, “I see how hard you work, and I know you care deeply about the team. That’s why I want to challenge you to be more confident in sharing your ideas. We need your voice in the conversation.”
❌ Calling Out Example: “You never speak up in meetings. Why don’t you contribute more?”
By framing feedback around the team’s needs and the person’s potential, Nurturers can create a safe space for growth.
Creative Leaders: Calling Up with Vision
Creatives see possibilities before others do. Their challenge is that they can be overly idealistic or critical when people don’t meet their high expectations.
✅ Calling Up Example: A Creative leader might say, “I know you want to do great work, and I see the potential in what you’re building. What if we stretched this idea even further? How can we push for an even better outcome?”
❌ Calling Out Example: “This isn’t innovative enough. Why aren’t you thinking bigger?”
By inviting their team to explore instead of criticizing what’s missing, Creatives can inspire others rather than overwhelming them.
Guardian Leaders: Calling Up with Precision
Guardians value structure, logic, and due diligence. Their challenge is that they can come across as too critical when giving feedback.
✅ Calling Up Example: Instead of shutting down a new idea, a Guardian leader might say, “That’s an interesting approach. Have you thought about how it fits within our current framework? Let’s refine it together.”
❌ Calling Out Example: “That idea won’t work. You didn’t do your research.”
By shifting from critique to collaboration, Guardians can maintain high standards while helping their team improve.
Connector Leaders: Calling Up with Enthusiasm
Connectors are relational and inspiring. Their challenge is that they sometimes avoid tough conversations to maintain harmony.
✅ Calling Up Example: A Connector leader might say, “You have a great ability to connect with people. I’d love to see you take more initiative in leading these client meetings because your energy makes a huge impact.”
❌ Calling Out Example: “Why do you keep hesitating in meetings? You need to step up.”
By framing the challenge in terms of the person’s natural strengths, Connectors can encourage action without discouraging their team.
Pioneer Leaders: Calling Up with Challenge
Pioneers are confident, strategic, and focused on winning. Their challenge is that they can be overly direct and dismissive of emotions.
✅ Calling Up Example: A Pioneer leader might say, “I know you’re capable of more, and I see the potential for you to lead this project. What do you need to step up and make it happen?”
❌ Calling Out Example: “You need to toughen up and get the job done.”
By issuing a challenge with belief and support, Pioneers can push their team toward excellence without alienating them.
Adjusting How You Call Up to the Voice of Your Team Members
Just as leaders naturally lean on their own Voice when calling others up, they also need to adapt their approach based on the Voice of the person they are leading. Each Voice responds best to a different style of challenge and encouragement.
✅ Calling Up a Nurturer: Provide reassurance that the challenge is coming from a place of care. Reinforce their value and the impact of their contributions before offering a challenge.
Example: “I appreciate how much you care about the team. I want to encourage you to trust yourself and take the lead on this project—you have what it takes.”
✅ Calling Up a Creative: Acknowledge their ideas and potential before offering constructive feedback. Give them space to refine their vision.
Example: “Your idea has so much potential. How can we shape it to make it even more effective?”
✅ Calling Up a Guardian: Provide clear reasoning and logic behind the challenge. Show how their expertise is needed.
Example: “Your attention to detail is what makes our team stronger. I’d love to see you take the lead on ensuring this project meets our high standards.”
✅ Calling Up a Connector: Use encouragement and enthusiasm to inspire action. Help them see how their strengths impact the team.
Example: “People love working with you because of your energy. I want to challenge you to take a bigger role in leading these conversations.”
✅ Calling Up a Pioneer: Be direct and challenge them with a high-stakes opportunity. They respond best to clear, confident expectations.
Example: “I know you thrive when you have a big challenge. I believe you’re the right person to drive this initiative forward—are you up for it?”
By adjusting how we call up based on the Voice of the person we’re leading, we create a culture where everyone feels supported, challenged, and empowered to grow.
The Impact of Calling Up
When leaders consistently call their team members up rather than out, they create a culture where people feel empowered, supported, and challenged to grow. Each of the 5 Voices can do this in their own unique way, using their natural strengths to inspire those around them.
As a leader, ask yourself:
Do my team members feel I am for them?
Am I challenging them in a way that builds them up instead of tearing them down?
How can I adjust my communication to call people up more effectively?
Leadership isn’t about pointing fingers—it’s about lifting people higher. And when you call your team up, they’ll rise to the occasion.
What’s one way you can call someone up this week?
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