High performance is no La-La-Land. Are you contributing or playing it cool?

An exploration in 2 parts 

Part I

High performance, whether in corporate leadership or the arts, is often driven by an invisible script: the chronic pressure to constantly prove one’s worth, relevance, mastery, and capacity for more. What begins as healthy ambition frequently devolves into “trained coolness”, just barely glossing over chronic pressure and overextension. This might seem harmless at first but more often than we think, it results in detrimental emotional distress and hidden self-doubt. No one is immune, not the top managers nor the young performer.

The data from the World Health Organization’s 2022 Policy Brief on Mental Health at Work is clear: “environments demanding continuous proof without psychological safety or meaningful recognition are a strong predictor of distress.” The WHO highlights that excessive workloads, low job control, job insecurity, and lack of social support are key risk factors. The damage is caused by the absence of balance, autonomy, agency and trust. Prolonged exposure to this climate and to those so called psychosocial risks (risks to mental health) can increase the likelihood of anxiety, depression and burnout, a pattern I have observed across every industry in my consulting work.

This is critical for all high-stakes sectors; and transposing these findings into the world of the arts, for example, raises a crucial question: What is the role of psychological safety on stage, in rehearsals, auditions, and in the studio? What feels right for the performer versus what works from a director’s perspective? Are these parameters the same? Does psychological safety improve performance, or do stress and pressure create better results on and off stage? 

While the answers to these questions are individual and may vary, one thing is clear: the need for individuals to find an outlet to self-regulate and manage stressful environments is real and essential, especially when those creating these environments do not actively manage the set-up in a positive, pro-active or constructive way, which still happens a lot!

The solution

From a research standpoint, the antidote is not less ambition or changing careers, but improved self-alignment. Easier said than done, talented individuals need to shift from performing to prove to performing to contribute.

And, yes, this needs more than “reframing the pain”, it’s a completely different perspective and approach to working in challenging environments. It comes down to knowing yourself better and leading yourself accordingly!

And, of course, those in positions of power have a role to play too! They must create environments where contribution is valued, the individual is seen and stressors are acknowledged and minimized. While there is no “La-La-Land” in the world of high performance, the baseline could be a commitment to wanting to understand what truly matters for sustainable performance. And feeling safe is key!

Reference: WHO / ILO, Mental health at work, Policy Brief, September 2022  (World Health Organisation / International Labour Organisation)

• WHO page (with overview + download link):
  https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240057944  
• Direct PDF via ILO Research Repository (if you want to save it straight away):
  https://researchrepository.ilo.org/view/pdfCoverPage?download=true&filePid=13116610960002676&instCode=41ILO_INST