I believe in performance. I believe in delivering results. I believe in overpromising and then… over delivering. I believe in rolling up my sleeves and getting to work right after the commitment is made, and keeping the clock going until the expectation is delivered.

You can tell a performer from a patronizer. They both give the promise of delivery, but only one delivers.

A performer is seen at work, a patronizer is heard at work. You can hear a patronizer talking a lot about the work he will do, but don’t see him doing much. A performer, on the other hand, has no time for small talks and he is hard to reach because he is neck deep into work.

A performer brainstorms and strategizes. He invites ideas. He looks for suggestions. He is always fishing for faster ways of delivery and alternate solutions. He listens.
A patronizer is heard in heavy discussions about the vision and the goal, but seldom about what he will do to get there. A patronizer is good at impressing people with his articulation of the dream, but then sleeps on it when it comes to action.

And when the deadline kicks in, the patronizer is the first to cut communication lines, is the easy target of all viral infections to fall sick, and basically will have something horrific happen to him fictitious or real, to get out of the firing line on non-completion of his target. He will not win your praise but he will do everything to win your sympathy for having failed in his commitment.

A performer will stay in touch. He will ask for help if needed for he knows that he is close to his target and non-achievement would only mark a waste of his efforts and his sacrifice. He will work with you to make things happen. He will not disappear on you. He will come to work even if he is sick because he is so invested. He will do everything to not let you down because his sweat and his heart lie at the core of his work.

You can tell a performer from a patronizer. And you choose your outcome when you choose one of them.

P.S. I have chosen many patronizers mistaking them to be highly motivated people. And I have learned to choose well the hard way.
P.P.S. When a patronizer finds his way into your team, you lose, and everyone involved loses because a patronizer will take you to the clouds with his talks and then rain down on you a series of losses, in terms of lost time and resources.
P.P.P.S. I know the difference between both, and I choose to BE a performer !!!