Overachievers vs. Dependable Performers vs. Those Who Slide By 7-24-26

Summary

Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast

Episode: Overachievers vs. Dependable Performers vs. Those Who Slide By
Host: Scott Becker
Date: July 24, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this concise episode, Scott Becker discusses three archetypes found in every workplace: overachievers, dependable performers (“90 percenters”), and those who “slide by.” He explores the importance of each group, why organizations need certain individuals more than others, and the necessity for teams to gravitate toward high performance and reliability.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Three States of Workplace Performance

[00:30]
Scott Becker introduces the “three states” that people occupy in a work setting:

A. Overachievers (Category One)

• People who go above and beyond, striving to be leaders and consistently deliver excellent work.
• Scarce but crucial to organizational dynamism.
• Becker notes: “Every organization needs some or more of those. And it just is what it is and hard to find.” – Scott Becker [00:39]

B. Dependable Performers / ‘90 Percenters’ (Category Two)

• Employees who come in, reliably do their jobs day in and day out.
• Called “the 90 percenters”: “These are the people that do their job. They that day in, day out are reliable and do their job.”
• Organizations “highly rely on” these team members; they are “so important to making things work.” – Scott Becker [01:17]
• References Bill Belichick’s mantra: “Do your job.”

C. Those Who Slide By (Category Three)

• Individuals who minimally contribute and avoid responsibility.
• “No place for them in most work environments.”
• These employees often switch jobs as “nobody really wants wrongs [sic].”
• Causes frustration for leaders and mentors: “They’re the kind of people that drive bosses, mentors, leaders, you know, insane because they’re really not trying that much, then often wonder why they don’t get… more mentorship, more leadership, more everything.” – Scott Becker [01:49]

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2. The Importance of Categories One and Two

[02:25]

• The “goal in life” professionally is to be in Category One (overachiever) or Category Two (dependable performer).
• Scott highlights the critical, often underappreciated, value of “the armies of people that get the job done.”
• Overachievers are the “fire starters” that push organizations forward, but it’s the dependable performers who form the backbone.
• On removing Category Three: “At some point you better get rid of them and replace them with somebody that’s going to be in category one or category two.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Organizational Needs:
  “Every organization needs some or more of [the overachievers]. And it just is what it is and hard to find.” – Scott Becker [00:39]

• On Dependable Performers:
  “Organizations highly rely on and are so important to making things work.” – Scott Becker [01:17]

• On the ‘Sliding By’ Mentality:
  “They’re the kind of people that drive bosses, mentors, leaders, you know, insane because they’re really not trying that much, then often wonder why they don’t get… more mentorship, more leadership, more everything.” – Scott Becker [01:49]

• On Team Building:
  “At some point you better get rid of them and replace them with somebody that’s going to be in category one or category two.” – Scott Becker [02:50]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:30: Overview of “three states” in the workplace
• 00:39: Definition and rarity of overachievers
• 01:17: The role and importance of the “90 percenters”
• 01:35: Quoting Bill Belichick: “Do your job”
• 01:49: Critique of those who “slide by”
• 02:25: Value of being in Category One or Two
• 02:50: Advice to replace Category Three performers

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Summary

Scott Becker uses this episode to efficiently lay out a model for thinking about workplace talent: teams thrive on both exceptional overachievers and rock-solid dependable doers. There’s little room for those who simply tolerate their jobs and fail to contribute meaningfully. Scott’s tone is pragmatic, direct, and occasionally emphatic, making clear that while not everyone must be an overachiever, reliable performance is indispensable, and those who offer less should be replaced.

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This summary omits ads, introductions, and non-content segments to focus on the episode’s critical insights and actionable lessons.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

This is Scott Becker with the Becker Business and the Becker Private Equity Podcast. Today's discussion is overachieving versus doing your job versus sliding by. So here's the three states that you could be in. In any work position you're in, you could be trying to do great work, trying to be the leader, trying to overachieve. That's core to category one, and every organization needs some or more of those. And it just is what it is and hard to find. X percent of people. This is the bell curve of life, the continuum of life, are truly overachievers just really trying to excel. The second category of people, which is really the very, very important group of people, we often call them the 90 percenters. These are the people that do their job. They that day in, day out are reliable and do their job. These people may not be category one, which are the overachievers, but these people are people that are doing their job every day, that are highly reliable, that organizations highly rely on and are so important to making things work. So that's the second category of people, those that do their job. Bill Belichick famously used to say, do your job, do your job. The third category is those that are sliding by. And, and unfortunately, those that are sliding by, there's no place for them in most work environments. Ultimately, these are the kind of people that will slide in out of jobs because nobody really wants wrongs. You're not really contributing, not really doing what they have to do. They're the kind of people that drive bosses, mentors, leaders, you know, insane because they're really not trying that much, then often wonder why they don't get, you know, more mentorship, more leadership, more everything. But that's the third category, those that are sliding by. So the goal in life, if you're, you know, in business as a business person, as an entrepreneur or as a, an employee, a team member, is at least to be in category one or two, the overachieving category or the, or the getting the job done. Category. And I can't underestimate the importance of the armies of people that get the job done. I mean, there are so many people that have so many things going on in life, but they plug in and do their job well. The second category, I don't want to understate the importance of those. The overachievers. You got to have some of those. You got to have some of those fire starters to really make an organization go in the third quarter category. Those that are sliding by, at some point you better get rid of them and replace them with somebody that's going to be in category one or category two. Those are doing great work or those that are overachieving or at least really doing their job. Thank you for listening to the Becker Business and the Becker Private Equity Podcast. We hope you enjoy listening. God bless you all. Thank you so much for joining us.

[A]

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