Is Your Organization Empowering the Right Employees?

Aggressive or quiet—who’s truly driving your company forward? Discover why the employees you think are troublemakers may actually be your greatest asset, and how "sleepers" are silently holding your business back. It's time to rethink employee behavior for real growth!?

Organizations are made up of all types of employees—some aggressive, some quiet, and others somewhere in between. If you've spent time observing how people behave at work, you may have noticed that there are certain employees who seem to always be at the center of arguments or conflicts. These people are often labeled as aggressive or troublemakers. On the surface, it seems like they need to be trained or coached to calm down and become more "team-friendly." But what if we’re looking at these employees the wrong way?

On the flip side, you might also have noticed a large group of employees who just come in, do their work quietly, and rarely cause a stir. These are the people who might never complain or argue, and they tend to stay under the radar. They get the work done and seem to be model employees. HR departments and leaders often celebrate this type of behavior, considering it to be the gold standard of employee conduct. But is that really the best behavior for an organization to thrive?

In my experience, and what I believe is often overlooked, is that both these common views are wrong. There is a much deeper issue going on here, and it has to do with understanding why certain employees fight and why others choose to stay silent and disengaged. It is critical for companies to recognize this problem because it’s quietly sabotaging their success. Let's dive into this issue in detail, break down the various types of employees, and figure out how to create an organizational culture that promotes real growth and success.

Aggressive Employees: The Fighters for Organizational Success

When we think about an aggressive employee, our minds tend to jump to negative assumptions. They might be seen as combative, argumentative, or difficult to work with. But what if their behavior isn’t simply about causing trouble or creating conflict? What if, deep down, these employees are actually fighting for the greater good of the organization?

A closer look at many of these employees reveals that they are not just fighting for their personal gain. They’re often the ones who care deeply about the company’s success. When they see something that isn’t working or spot a potential issue, they are the first to speak up. Their assertiveness may come across as aggression, but in reality, they’re fighting for improvement. These employees might be critical to your company’s success because they’re willing to challenge the status quo. They want the company to do better, even if it means stepping on a few toes along the way.

Steve Jobs at Apple

A well-known example of a "fighter" employee is Steve Jobs. He was notoriously tough on his employees, often pushing them to their limits. Some described him as demanding and even ruthless. However, Steve Jobs wasn’t just aggressive for the sake of it—he was relentlessly focused on making Apple the best it could be. His passion for innovation and perfection led Apple to create some of the most groundbreaking products in the world, such as the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.

You can read more about his leadership style here: Steve Jobs: Aggressive But Visionary.

The Quiet Employees: The Silent Saboteurs

Now let’s talk about the quiet employees—the ones who seem to be doing everything right. They come to work on time, complete their tasks, and never cause any issues. HR professionals often praise them for their “model” behavior, assuming that these employees are the backbone of the organization. But in my experience, this is far from the truth. In fact, these employees may be doing more harm than good.

It’s not that these employees are bad people or deliberately trying to hurt the company. The problem is that they are not engaged. They are silent—not because they agree with everything or because things are perfect, but because they’ve chosen to stay out of the conversation. In many cases, they’ve simply become comfortable in their role and no longer push themselves or the organization to improve.

The Danger of Comfort Zones

These employees may do what is required of them, but they rarely go above and beyond. They don’t contribute new ideas or challenge existing processes. This kind of passive behavior can be incredibly harmful to a company, especially in today’s fast-paced world, where innovation and adaptability are key to survival. In fact, these silent employees can act as silent saboteurs, hindering progress because they’re comfortable with the status quo. They’re not fighting for improvement, they’re just there, taking up space.

Blockbuster vs. Netflix

A prime example of this behavior can be seen in the downfall of Blockbuster, a once-dominant video rental company. For years, Blockbuster employees and leadership stayed quiet, continuing to do things the way they had always been done, even as the world of entertainment was rapidly changing. Meanwhile, Netflix employees were the exact opposite. They were the “fighters,” constantly pushing for new ideas like online streaming, which eventually led Netflix to surpass Blockbuster and revolutionize the industry.

Blockbuster’s failure to adapt and its employees' comfort with the old ways of doing things led to its downfall. You can read more about this here: How Netflix Beat Blockbuster.

The Sleeping Employees: The Real Organizational Threat

Then there’s the third group—the employees who are not just quiet, but who are completely disengaged. These employees show up to work, do the bare minimum, collect their salary, and go home. They contribute nothing to the organization’s growth or success. In my opinion, these are the real cancers in any organization.

The scary part is that many HR systems fail to recognize these employees. While HR may focus on managing the “aggressive” employees, they often overlook these “sleepers.” These employees may not cause any drama, but they’re not contributing to the company’s success either. In fact, they might be holding the company back from making significant progress. Despite this, HR systems across the world seem to be afraid to take action. Perhaps it’s fear of legal consequences or a reluctance to make tough decisions, but the bottom line is that these employees are not helping the organization, and they need to be identified and either re-engaged or let go.

The Need for Better HR Systems

The truth is, there is no perfect HR system in place to identify these sleeping employees. HR professionals are often focused on maintaining a harmonious work environment, which is important, but they can sometimes prioritize peace over productivity. This is a major issue because these sleeping employees are draining the company’s resources without offering anything in return. Worse, they create an environment where mediocrity is accepted, and innovation is stifled.

The 10-70-20 Rule: Understanding Employee Contributions

In most organizations, you’ll find that only about 10% of employees are truly excellent. These are the top performers who go above and beyond to ensure the company’s success. They are usually the “fighters”—the ones who are willing to challenge the status quo, take risks, and push the organization forward. Unfortunately, these top performers often face resistance from 70% of employees, who prefer to stick to their comfort zones and maintain the current way of doing things.

Then there’s the final 20% of employees—the “sleepers.” These employees are doing almost nothing to help the company succeed. They come to work, do the bare minimum, and leave without contributing any real value. The challenge for HR departments and leaders is to identify these sleepers and take action before they drag the organization down.

Conclusion: How Organizations Can Move Forward

The biggest challenge facing organizations today is how to support the fighters, engage the quiet employees, and weed out the sleepers. HR systems need to be rethought, and companies must develop better ways to identify the employees who are truly contributing to the organization’s success. This requires a shift in mindset—from focusing solely on keeping the peace to actively promoting growth, innovation, and progress.

It’s time to stop viewing aggressive employees as troublemakers and start recognizing them as the potential champions of your company. At the same time, organizations must pay closer attention to those who are quietly disengaged, as they could be the ones holding the company back from achieving its true potential.

By understanding the real dynamics at play, organizations can create a workplace where the right employees are empowered, and those who are not contributing are encouraged to step up—or step aside.