When superperformers become HR’s biggest liability

In today’s leaner, flatter organizations, top performers don’t just drive results. They often carry structural weight. But when too much work, knowledge, and decision-making concentrates around a few indispensable people, talent density can quietly become talent dependency. In this episode of Piece of Work, host Eric Glass sits down with Rebecca Kehoe (Professor, Cornell University) and Brandy Garnero (CHCO, Foundry Commercial) to explore how superperformers can create hidden enterprise risk — from execution bottlenecks and burnout to knowledge concentration and succession gaps — and what HR can do to protect business continuity without lowering the bar.