Why Your Greatest Staff Are the Most At Threat

By Stavy Papasotiriou, Organisational Psychologist and founding father of Work Unlocked. 

WHY HIGH PERFORMERS ARE THE FIRST TO BURN OUT

Each firm needs excessive performers—those who exceed targets, take initiative, and lift the bar for everybody else. They’re those who keep late, resolve issues earlier than they escalate, and constantly ship above expectations. They appear unstoppable—till they’re not. Right here’s the uncomfortable fact: your excessive performers are probably the most weak to burnout and disengagement. Why? As a result of the very traits that make them profitable—perfectionism, resilience, and emotional funding—additionally put them on the highest danger of stress and exhaustion.

The issue is that the majority corporations assume excessive performers are “constructed in a different way”—that they’re naturally wired to deal with stress higher than others. However that assumption results in a harmful blind spot: corporations usually overlook the early warning indicators of burnout of their high expertise.

The Overachiever Lure:

Analysis in organisational psychology exhibits that top performers are wired in a different way:

• They set increased private requirements.
• They internalise success and failure extra deeply.
• They have an inclination to tackle extra accountability with out asking for assist.

This makes them extremely efficient—but in addition extremely vulnerable to burnout. What’s occurring beneath the floor is that top performers are continually operating at a deficit. Their brains are in a near-constant state of heightened arousal—triggering the stress response time and again. Over time, this results in emotional and cognitive fatigue. And since excessive performers are so succesful, the workload tends to maintain rising. They grow to be the go-to individual for tough initiatives or last-minute fixes—which suggests they face even better strain with fewer security nets.

WHY OVERACHIEVERS ARE AT HIGHER RISK

1. Emotional Exhaustion – Excessive performers make investments extra emotional vitality into their work. When the workload turns into unsustainable, they burn out sooner.
2. Perfectionism Paralysis – Excessive performers are typically perfectionists. Once they can’t meet their very own requirements, they really feel like failures—even when their output remains to be above common.
3. “Success Fatigue” – When excessive performers succeed constantly, the reward response diminishes. Success stops feeling significant, resulting in apathy
4. Invisible Strain – Excessive performers are sometimes given extra accountability as a result of they’re trusted—however that further weight isn’t acknowledged.

The Warning Indicators:

Most excessive performers gained’t ask for assist till they’re already burned out. It’s because excessive performers are normally the “fixers” within the workforce—they’re those fixing different folks’s issues, not on the lookout for assist themselves. Look ahead to these early warning indicators: 

• Elevated irritability and emotional outbursts.
• Withdrawal from workforce discussions and decision-making.
• Drop in creativity and problem-solving capability.
• Resentment towards management or friends.

HOW COMPANIES UNINTENTIONALLY MAKE IT WORSE

Probably the most damaging half? Firms usually reinforce burnout patterns with out realizing it:

• Rewarding overwork – Promotions and bonuses tied to lengthy hours, not impression. If somebody stays late to repair a mistake attributable to poor planning, they usually’re rewarded for it—that’s not motivation. That’s dysfunction.
• Assuming resilience – Simply because somebody handles stress properly doesn’t imply they aren’t struggling. Excessive performers are masters at hiding stress. Simply because somebody appears calm underneath strain doesn’t imply they aren’t unraveling internally.
• Relying an excessive amount of on high performers – When excessive performers choose up the slack, the remainder of the workforce disengages. When one individual carries greater than their share of the workload, it creates a harmful imbalance—and ultimately, resentment.

HOW TO FIX IT:

• Redefine success – Reward impression, not effort. Cease rewarding lengthy hours—begin rewarding significant outcomes. Deal with inventive problem-solving, strategic wins, and long-term worth creation.
• Set boundaries – Shield excessive performers from taking up an excessive amount of. Excessive performers will naturally say “sure” to extra work—however management must be defending them from overcommitment, not encouraging it.
• Recognise emotional labor – Acknowledge the emotional toll of management and high-stakes initiatives. Recognition isn’t nearly efficiency—it’s about effort and resilience. Thanking somebody for holding the workforce collectively underneath strain issues.
• Create psychological security – Excessive performers must really feel like they will fail with out dropping standing. Perfectionism feeds burnout. Encourage risk-taking with out punishment to create a more healthy mindset.

CONCLUSION

The important thing isn’t asking excessive performers to do much less—it’s serving to them work smarter and defending them from burnout. Cease treating excessive performers like they’re unbreakable. Defending your high expertise isn’t about reducing the bar—it’s about ensuring they’ve the instruments, assets, and emotional assist to thrive at a excessive degree with out sacrificing their well-being.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stavy Papasotiriou is an organisational psychologist and the visionary behind Work Unlocked — a number one HR consultancy on a mission to revolutionise worker engagement, efficiency, and retention in companies worldwide. With a profound understanding of HR practices, Stavy leverages psychological rules to unleash the untapped potential of workforces. At Work Unlocked, Stavy crafts bespoke methods which are grounded in analysis and tailor-made to every organisation’s distinctive wants. These methods are designed to yield exceptional outcomes whereas requiring minimal assets. Guide now a free discovery name with considered one of our expert organisational psychologists at Work Unlocked!