May 20, 2025
by Stephen T. Messenger
Pacesetting leadership is when the person in charge sets an extremely high tempo and standard to their team and expects them to follow. To earn the respect of the pacesetter, team members are expected to meet or exceed the leader’s example no matter what. If we fall behind, they keep going without us.
There are times to use pacesetting leadership, times to avoid it, and things smart leaders should keep in mind before running hard with our teams.
Keep Up or Fall Out
The sun was peeking out behind the horizon on my first morning as a member of the Army ROTC program. We just finished warm-up calisthenics which I didn’t find too challenging and were ready to run. The cadet in charge bellowed out to choose which group-level to run with: slow, medium, or fast.
I didn’t want to embarrass myself in the fast group, so I confidently stepped in behind all the medium runners. Ninety seconds in, it hit me, I was going to fall out.
The guy setting the pace was perfectly steady, but he far exceeded my ability. I hung in as long as I could, but the group slowly started to distance themselves from me. I watched them fade into the sunrise with them barely realizing that I was no longer with them. I had been left behind.
The Pacesetter Defined
Pacesetting leadership is a lot like a military run where the person in charge is a high energy, fast tempo driver with relentless motivation to get things done. Their mantra is “Keep up. Now.” The pacesetter expects everyone to produce the same amount of energy, effort, and quality as them. Results are what counts.
Their actions are often more visible than their words, and they lead through doing and not by encouraging others. They are often driven and competitive, with no tolerance for those that aren’t running hard with them. Their message is that if you can’t keep up with me, then you shouldn’t be here.
Some examples are Elon Musk who works long hours and demands innovation, Tom Brady who said, “You want to know which ring is my favorite? The next one,” and George Patton who demanded tempo, aggression, and excellence on his relentless march to Berlin.
The Upside of Pacesetting Leadership
When done right, pacesetting can be transformative. This method creates speed and efficiency in a team, provides a role model to emulate, and attracts people who are seeking excellence themselves.
First, pacesetters move fast and expect results. They are great for high-tempo activities like sports and military tactical units. They get results for jobs that demand high competencies such as firefighters, SWAT teams, and start-up companies. If you want to move fast, follow them.
Second, pacesetters show others how it should be done by example. They command respect and demonstrate drive. They are competent, confident, and tactically and technically proficient. Others want to be like them. If there are functional tasks like assembly line operations, they can go all day and produce more than anyone else.
Finally, they draw in others who want to run fast and win. Those that aren’t interested in going all-out, all-the-time naturally quit. This develops teams that want to be there and thrive in pressure situations to generate results.
The Downside of Pacesetting Leadership
While pacesetters are building winning teams, they also develop a hidden cost that sometimes doesn’t appear until it’s too late. They run the risk of creating teams that are tired, have low morale, lack teamwork, and can’t keep up forever.
Teams trying to maintain pace may face burnout and fatigue. Not everyone can go all out, all the time. Many feel overworked and unable to keep up with the boss. They may fall behind, disengage, or even collapse.
Morale may suffer at the expense of hard-charging bosses. This environment could feel like a sink or swim culture where results are valued over people. If team members fall out, it may appear that people are expendable.
There can be a lack of trust in this culture where performance is king. The side effect is fear or resentment towards the leader. They may feel the boss isn’t looking out for them as a person. Moreover, pacesetting leaders often micromanage which leads to decreased trust.
Lastly, this high pace could be unsustainable over time. Even the hardest charging leaders can burn out themselves. We saw this happen to Simone Biles when she withdrew from the 2021 Olympics citing the “twisties” and mental health concerns.
When to Use (or Avoid) This Style
Pacesetting leadership has a time and place. It is best for short-term, high-stakes environments with a trained team. That’s when the leader issues a “follow me” command and takes off. An example is a shift supervisor at a busy restaurant. They lead by example jumping in to help and setting a strong work ethic.
Another situation is a parent getting kids ready for school when the bus is rounding the corner. They set a clear, fast pace to get everyone moving with a sense of urgency. Finally, a captain of a sports team would use pacesetting when the team is slacking off, and the leader must show intensity and focus to motivate others to raise their game.
Pacesetting leadership is not a great idea when we have a new or inexperienced team. If someone doesn’t know what they’re doing, they’ll just get lost in the frenetic pace. A new employee learning how to navigate the filing process needs coaching and instruction, not a boss outpacing them.
It’s also not preferred when a team has low morale or stress. If the boss is pushing people harder when they’re already at their limit, more frustration could happen. After a stressful quarter, employees may need encouragement rather than another huge task to tackle.
But there are ways to use pacesetting smartly. When we combine deliberate coaching with periods of surge, we can gain great results while incrementally learning tasks. It’s important to slow down the pace to assess, consolidate, and listen to our team. Finally, when we run hard, we should stop and celebrate our wins when they happen and applaud the hard work and effort.
Pacesetting at It’s Finest
Sometimes, you lead the run and sometimes, you have to circle back for the ones falling out. Great leaders know the difference.
Pacesetting leadership can achieve results, but without balance, it can leave damage behind. The key is knowing when to press forward, when to pause, and who might be worth waiting for.
When done right, this method can generate great results. When done poorly, we can leave a wake of chaos in our path.
Click here to sign up for The Maximum Standard’s weekly email where you’ll get a leadership vignette delivered for free every Tuesday morning!
We’re always looking for authors. We coach first time authors (and anyone) through the writing process if you need a little help. It’s worth taking the first step and showing interest.
This website is a personal blog and all writings, podcasts, opinions, and posts are the authors’ own and do not represent the views of the United States Army nor any other organization. Podcast music credit in this audio file is to: “Alex Productions – Legends” is under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0). / @alexproductionsnocopyright
The Maximum Standard 