Our research
"We find that these patterns – which may have enabled early workplace achievement – can often become the very things that ultimately limit professional success, personal satisfaction, and a sense of wellbeing."
Executive Summary
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent “Great Resignation,” the desire for improved professional and personal wellbeing has reached record levels – while, at the same time, achieving that type of wellbeing feels increasingly elusive to many. Indeed, reported feelings of burnout are higher than ever; as cited in the Harvard Business Review, professionals are twice as likely to report that they are “always exhausted” as compared to 20 years ago. Similarly, McKinsey’s 2022 “Women in the Workplace” report finds that women leaders are leaving their companies at the highest rate in years – driven in part by a desire to work for companies that are committed to employee wellbeing.
This white paper seeks to identify and understand patterns common among high-achievers – patterns that do or do not support professional and personal wellbeing. It draws from a survey designed and implemented by the Beyond Perfect program of Pathfinder Strategies LLC of 140 graduates from the Harvard Business School, the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Wharton School who identify as “high-achieving.” We test the hypothesis that a subset of high-achievers develop a certain set of perfectionist beliefs over time, often reinforced and even rewarded by the high-pressure environments in which they operate, that ultimately become limiting over time – to their professional success, personal satisfaction, and wellbeing. For this reason, we refer to these as “Limiting Beliefs.”
"Limiting Beliefs" common among a subset of high-achievers:
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All-or-nothing perspective: This is the belief that only a small number of outcomes are acceptable, and that there is typically a best way to achieve any given outcome. Individuals who strongly hold this belief often tend to see the world at its extremes and maintain very high standards (sometimes impossibly high standards) related to which outcomes are and are not acceptable.
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Perceived control: This is the belief that, through hard work or conscientious effort, most outcomes can and should be controlled. Individuals who strongly hold this belief often believe that if they provide the right inputs or plan for things to go a certain way, then they can expect to see (or are entitled to see) the outcomes they plan on. They believe that it is their effort that is the determining input of most outcomes and may have a hard time seeing or accepting that a large constellation of factors beyond their input may influence any given outcome.
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Fear of failure: This is the belief that good reasons exist to fear not achieving the outcomes an individual has defined as acceptable. Individuals who strongly hold this perspective believe they have very valid and justifiable reasons for fearing mistakes, failure or setbacks.
We find that these individuals who most strongly hold this set of “Limiting Beliefs” also strongly identify with descriptions related to being perfectionist, self-critical, and critical of others. Furthermore, those same individuals also report the following experiences relative to average:
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Feel 31% more burned out
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Are considering leaving their job at a 22% higher rate
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Experience their job as feeling 26% less sustainable
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Feel 17% less satisfied in their job
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Feel 9% less satisfied with the quality of their mental health
We also test the hypothesis that some “high-achievers” operate in what we describe as a “Resilient Cycle,” one characterized by a differing set of underlying beliefs more supportive of professional success, personal satisfaction, and wellbeing.
"Resilient Beliefs" common among a subset of high-achievers:
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Nuanced perspective: This is the belief that there are many valid outcomes and approaches between the extremes of “good” and “bad”, “success” or “failure”, “perfect” or “imperfect.” Individuals who strongly hold this belief are typically able to see that an outcome or approach can be many things simultaneously, not just “all good” or “all bad,” for example.
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Realistic view of control: This is the belief that many outcomes in life are beyond our direct control or are not worthy of controlling. Individuals who strongly hold this belief typically acknowledge and account for the factors that influence any given outcome outside of their own input or effort – and can define the situations that merit letting go of some amount of control.
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Trusting orientation: This is the belief that it is possible to get through difficult experiences. Individuals who hold this belief strongly believe that, while it may not be easy, they have what they need to get through challenges, failures, or setbacks and can even learn or grow stronger from those experiences.
We find that these individuals who most strongly hold this set of beliefs identify with the descriptor of “resilient” and much less strongly than average with descriptions of being fearful of failure, perfectionistic, and critical of others. Furthermore, those same individuals also report the following experiences relative to average:
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Feel 10% less burned out
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Rate their satisfaction with the quality of their mental health as 26% higher
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Feel 12% more satisfied with their lives overall
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Are 10% more satisfied in their job
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Feel 8% more engaged at work
Lastly, we find evidence suggestive that these impacts are more pronounced for those who identify as women compared to those who identify as men. Notably, women who identify strongly as “Perfectionist” report the following relative to men who report identifying as “Perfectionist” at similarly high levels:
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Are considering leaving their job at a 51% higher rate
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Feel 27% more burned out
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Are 27% less satisfied in their job
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Feel 18% less engaged at work
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Feel 16% less satisfied with the quality of their mental health
Drawing on other small-scale studies based on participant data from the Beyond Perfect program, we point to evidence suggesting it is possible to transition away from the “Limiting Beliefs” associated with perfectionism and burnout and toward a more resilient approach. As part of a 10-week Beyond Perfect training program – in which participants are provided the tools, strategies, and supportive community needed to develop awareness of “Limiting Beliefs”, cultivate “Resilient Beliefs,” and reduce perfectionist patterns – participants report meaningful positive change, including improved job performance, increased job sustainability and satisfaction, greater personal fulfillment, and enhanced feelings of belonging.
These findings indicate that supporting high-achievers to transition from limiting, perfectionist beliefs toward more resilient beliefs and patterns holds significant potential for professional and personal outcomes related to retention, engagement, satisfaction, and wellbeing. In light of these results, individuals and companies should consider opportunities to support this transition, enabling resilient and fulfilling achievement over a long time horizon.