When you are a high achiever, you are often driven by an unyielding desire to achieve excellence. In professional fields, no one becomes a high achiever by mere happenstance; it takes passion and rigorous pursuit over the years. This can serve to exaggerate key, like-minded traits among many successful individuals, such as discipline and robust ambition. However, one of the most common of these traits is also among the most unexpectedly hazardous: perfectionism.
Perfectionism is best described as the pursuit of the best results possible at all costs. On the surface, this is often deemed worthy of praise or celebration, especially in elite, high-performing environments. Whether it be athletes who demand flawless execution, leaders who scrutinize every minute detail, or students who refuse to settle, perfectionism can be highly impressive to the external world.
But to the internal world of the individual in question, it can be outright harmful if not properly managed and kept in perspective. There is this perception in popular culture that successful people have reached great heights in their lives because of their perfectionism, that it is the fuel that has propelled them to these achievements. In reality, perfectionism is a byproduct of such success and can quietly sabotage those very high achievers.
Dr. Klara Gubacs Collins observes this pattern in high achievers across fields. She notes that when performance is tied to self-worth, mistakes feel like threats rather than feedback. True excellence comes from separating value from performance, reducing fear-driven control, and replacing self-judgment with emotional regulation and a sense of purpose.
When Good Is Never Enough
It is a common belief among many high achievers that their value is directly linked to their output. For many, this foundational linkage can be traced back to an early age. Take the example of the student who earlier refused to settle; if that student achieves high grades at a young age and receives all kinds of emotional validation from teachers, parents, and peers, that can become a defining element in their self-perception.
This dynamic reinforces the belief that doing well, whether in school or in work more generally, earns them approval from those around them. Thus, if something occurs that results in this praise either being reduced or taken away entirely, it feels that much more threatening and invasive to them as a person.
High achievers may internalize the idea that success means approval and that mistakes threaten their sense of belonging. Dr. Gubacs Collins calls it an invisible contract that shapes behavior under high-stakes conditions. For example, the emotional response to mistakes often outweighs their real impact.
The Necessity of Failure
One critical element that this perfectionist line of thinking fails to account for, though, is the necessity of failure itself. Failure is often the greatest teacher of all, helping people recognize their mistakes and recalibrate their approach. However, for failure to truly have a beneficial aspect, the person in question must be able to view it as something to take into account and build on. And for perfectionists, that is much easier said than done.
The Paradox of Overcontrol
Perfectionists often desire control. There is a pervasive belief among high achievers that greater control over themselves, their work, and any situation they find themselves in will lead to fewer mistakes and allow them to succeed more resoundingly. This belief can often cause them to overprepare, overanalyze, or overcorrect in response to minor setbacks. While preparation is essential, excessive control disrupts natural rhythm.
For an easy example of how this pursuit of control through overbaked methods can prove detrimental, one need look no further than athletics. Overpreparing can manifest as mechanical stiffness, ultimately resulting in far worse performance.
A similar pattern appears in business when leaders face important decisions. An executive who normally makes clear, timely calls may suddenly begin revisiting the same data repeatedly, searching for certainty before acting. Instead of trusting their judgment and experience, they attempt to eliminate every possible risk. The decision slows, not because the leader lacks knowledge, but because the fear of making an imperfect choice has replaced confidence in their preparation.
In these cases, the perfectionist’s desire to eliminate any potential for error inadvertently increases the likelihood of it. To this end, Dr. Gubacs-Collins emphasizes that elite performance requires trust in preparation. When perfectionism overrides that trust, execution becomes rigid. The performer expends energy managing fear rather than applying their well-practiced skills.
The Emotional Root of Perfectionism
Perfectionism rarely stems solely from a desire for excellence. It often starts from fear of rejection or loss. Dr. Gubacs-Collins begins with clients by identifying when they first saw performance as a marker of self-worth.
Tracing these beliefs, performers connect current pressure to past experiences. Reducing the emotional impact of early memories lessens the urgency to be flawless. As the charge fades, they pursue excellence without self-punishment.
Moving From Fear-Driven to Purpose-Driven Performance
By reducing self-judgment, performers save energy for execution. At that point, an important shift occurs. Motivation shifts away from fear of mistakes and toward the task at hand.
Fear-driven performers are motivated by a desire to avoid mistakes. Their attention is pulled toward protecting the outcome and self-worth by attempting to prevent failure. Purpose-driven performers operate differently. Their focus shifts from protecting their image to fully engaging with the task at hand.
The question shifts from winning or closing to the next action that advances the process. Focus narrows to the immediate: the pass, the sentence, the decision.
