The myth of the high-performer
It’s good to always want to achieve more, isn’t it?
Never being satisfied with the status-quo, feeling driven or called by something bigger, sensing that you’re capable of bigger things…you know, wanting what doesn’t exist for you yet.
The best answer I can give you is, “Eh, well, maybe.”
It all depends on how you are going about getting there, particularly if you are working in an organization and are either the said ‘high-performer’ or a being subjected to one. (And I’ve been through both roles.)
Communication Intelligence recently asked me about the negative effects of a high-achiever who refuses to stop. While on the surface, it seems like a good thing: an employee who obsessively drives for better results, there are negatives lingering deeper that can be ignored that will cause greater damage if not reigned in.
You can check out the full article here.
Yeah - I’ve been the maniac I described in my response. In my 20s I was obsessed with perfection. So obsessed in fact that I drove fellow employees away with my demand for high standards.
I had a toxic approach and didn’t know it. All I was focused on were results - damn anyone who got in my way or couldn’t step up.
You can imagine how well that all worked out…
In my 30s and 40s, I was on the other side of that experience. Thankfully, I did not report to the maniacs in question, but I had to exist in the same work-pool with them and see how they demeaned others with their top-down dictatorial approach to getting work done.
It was, and still is, a repugnant way to manage. I would not call it leadership (yes, I am looking at you Donald Trump and your toad of a VP.)
As I’ve evolved over the years, I’ve learned that leadership is not about demanding others rise, it’s about seeing the potential that they might not see within themselves and helping them to unlock it.
High-performance invites others to greater levels of achievement, it does not shame them for falling down. In fact, high-achievers recognize that failure is part of the process. If you’re not making mistakes, if you’re not hitting new metrics, it means you are not stretching outside of your comfort zone.
What is the solution to toxic high-performance?
Learning to stop. Pause. Breathe.
There comes a point of diminishing returns. There comes a time when you burn out those around you, along with the bridges of goodwill that ultimately provide the road to success.
That’s the wisdom I finally learned after a long journey.
Now I share it and help others who are ready.
If this article spoke to you, let’s talk. I’ll listen.
