Development That Sticks

High performer burnout rarely looks like failure. More often, it shows up in individuals who continue to meet expectations long after their experience of the work has started to shift. Two people can operate at a similarly high level, receive consistent positive feedback, and be seen as equally capable. Their performance reviews are strong, their contributions are valued, and they are trusted with increasingly important work. From the outside, there is little to suggest a difference between them. Over time, however, their experience begins to hit a fork in the road. One grows into the role with a sense of… Read More »Why High Performers Burn Out Even When They’re Succeeding

Like so many people over the last few years, I recently enjoyed binge-watching the television series The Bear, a fictional dramedy that follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (played brilliantly by Jeremy Allen White), a fine-dining chef who returns home to Chicago to run his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop after a personal tragedy. It has all the ingredients (pun intended) you would expect from a series that explores the artistry, pressure, culture, and personal entanglements of those building a life—and a business—inside the kitchen. Watching The Bear, I was both entertained—and a bit rattled. The heat, the chaos, the nonstop demands—those… Read More »Escaping The Bear Mentality: How Self-Directed Learning Boosts Career Growth & Helps to Prevent Burnout