The “high performer” label, intended as praise, often translates to more pressure and less support, fostering burnout.
Inconsistent definitions and subjective criteria for the term play into unconscious biases and create isolation and uncertainty for employees.
Chi Muo, Product Manager at Capital Group, argues for a cultural shift where organizations prioritize genuine employee well-being over labels.
Leveraging AI to improve employee experience, not just efficiency, indicates a healthy workplace culture.
The “high performer” label might look good on paper, but it comes with strings attached: more responsibility, more pressure, and a fast track to burnout. The line between being exceptional and being overextended has started to blur, raising new questions about what it really means to succeed at work today.
Chi Muo, Product Manager at Capital Group, knows how quickly being called a “high performer” can go from flattering to overwhelming.
The unspoken contract: “The ‘high performer’ label often starts as a compliment, but it can quickly become a burden disguised as praise,” says Muo. “It almost becomes an unspoken contract: ‘You’re capable, you can quietly absorb so much more than others,'” she explains. The typical result is “more responsibility, more pressure, and more expectations,” often without corresponding support or recognition beyond the label itself. The imbalance builds resentment and fosters burnout, as individuals question the personal cost of their work ethic.
A lonely pedestal: The journey of a high performer can be isolating. “It can be a really lonely place to be,” Muo states, highlighting how the label often implies self-sufficiency and the assumption that support isn’t needed. When high performance suggests someone can just get on and do the job without help, “that can be a very dangerous place to land,” she cautions.
The shifting sands of definition: Another challenge is the inconsistent and subjective nature of the “high performer” term. “The definition changes depending on your work environment, your manager, your work culture, your team culture,” Muo explains. In some settings, it might mean “meeting targets and staying visible.” In others, it can mean, “keeping one’s head down, staying out of the weeds, not making any waves.” This ambiguity means employees navigate unclear expectations.
Bias and bureaucracy: The designation isn’t always purely meritocratic either. Muo points out that “unconscious biases can affect who we designate as high performers,” pointing to “corporate or enterprise bureaucracy politics” as an influence. This subjectivity, she explains, means the label might reflect favoritism or systemic issues more than objective achievement, and those who’ve always seen themselves as high performers can end up feeling overlooked if the culture doesn’t recognize their contributions fairly.
Compounding pressure: While Muo is fortunate to work for an organization she describes as “exceptional,” she acknowledges the broader realities. “The financial sector is known for being a stressful sector to work in,” she says. Even within a supportive company, team cultures can differ. Finance, as Muo notes, “never sleeps,” and over time, personal lives and priorities naturally prompt a re-evaluation: “What is more important to me? Is it being viewed as a high performer, or do I not want this recognition to cost me my personal boundaries and my personal well-being?”
Bon appétit: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” says Muo. “No matter your strategy as an organization, the internal culture that you have in place has the ability to motivate your teams or to demotivate them.” She advocates for “learning organizations” where people feel free and emboldened to question things, and where employee well-being is a top priority. “Happy and valued associates, associates that feel cared for, are going to actually put in the work and are more likely to go the extra mile.”
Ally or executioner: The rise of AI tests an organization’s culture. Will it be viewed merely as a way to “save money” and potentially reduce headcount, Muo asks, or as a tool to “enable people to be their best?” She is proud her organization is pursuing the latter, focusing on improving associates’ lives. “I don’t think AI is here to take human jobs at all,” Muo asserts. “I think it’s here as a tool to help us improve our lives and to invest more in the lives of our associates,” potentially easing workloads and enabling more strategic human input.
Leadership with a soul: Creating a healthy environment where high performance doesn’t lead to burnout comes down to leadership. “Leadership requires having a soul,” Muo states. It demands “reading between the lines, looking at the invisible truths, reading the silence in the room, and being able to understand what that means,” she says. This empathetic leadership is key to reassessing directions and reinvesting in associates in meaningful ways, so organizations continuously refine their cultures for the better.
The “high performer” label, intended as praise, often translates to more pressure and less support, fostering burnout.
Inconsistent definitions and subjective criteria for the term play into unconscious biases and create isolation and uncertainty for employees.
Chi Muo, Product Manager at Capital Group, argues for a cultural shift where organizations prioritize genuine employee well-being over labels.
Leveraging AI to improve employee experience, not just efficiency, indicates a healthy workplace culture.
Capital Group
The “high performer” label might look good on paper, but it comes with strings attached: more responsibility, more pressure, and a fast track to burnout. The line between being exceptional and being overextended has started to blur, raising new questions about what it really means to succeed at work today.
Chi Muo, Product Manager at Capital Group, knows how quickly being called a “high performer” can go from flattering to overwhelming.
The unspoken contract: “The ‘high performer’ label often starts as a compliment, but it can quickly become a burden disguised as praise,” says Muo. “It almost becomes an unspoken contract: ‘You’re capable, you can quietly absorb so much more than others,'” she explains. The typical result is “more responsibility, more pressure, and more expectations,” often without corresponding support or recognition beyond the label itself. The imbalance builds resentment and fosters burnout, as individuals question the personal cost of their work ethic.
A lonely pedestal: The journey of a high performer can be isolating. “It can be a really lonely place to be,” Muo states, highlighting how the label often implies self-sufficiency and the assumption that support isn’t needed. When high performance suggests someone can just get on and do the job without help, “that can be a very dangerous place to land,” she cautions.
The shifting sands of definition: Another challenge is the inconsistent and subjective nature of the “high performer” term. “The definition changes depending on your work environment, your manager, your work culture, your team culture,” Muo explains. In some settings, it might mean “meeting targets and staying visible.” In others, it can mean, “keeping one’s head down, staying out of the weeds, not making any waves.” This ambiguity means employees navigate unclear expectations.
Bias and bureaucracy: The designation isn’t always purely meritocratic either. Muo points out that “unconscious biases can affect who we designate as high performers,” pointing to “corporate or enterprise bureaucracy politics” as an influence. This subjectivity, she explains, means the label might reflect favoritism or systemic issues more than objective achievement, and those who’ve always seen themselves as high performers can end up feeling overlooked if the culture doesn’t recognize their contributions fairly.
Capital Group
Compounding pressure: While Muo is fortunate to work for an organization she describes as “exceptional,” she acknowledges the broader realities. “The financial sector is known for being a stressful sector to work in,” she says. Even within a supportive company, team cultures can differ. Finance, as Muo notes, “never sleeps,” and over time, personal lives and priorities naturally prompt a re-evaluation: “What is more important to me? Is it being viewed as a high performer, or do I not want this recognition to cost me my personal boundaries and my personal well-being?”
Bon appétit: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” says Muo. “No matter your strategy as an organization, the internal culture that you have in place has the ability to motivate your teams or to demotivate them.” She advocates for “learning organizations” where people feel free and emboldened to question things, and where employee well-being is a top priority. “Happy and valued associates, associates that feel cared for, are going to actually put in the work and are more likely to go the extra mile.”
Ally or executioner: The rise of AI tests an organization’s culture. Will it be viewed merely as a way to “save money” and potentially reduce headcount, Muo asks, or as a tool to “enable people to be their best?” She is proud her organization is pursuing the latter, focusing on improving associates’ lives. “I don’t think AI is here to take human jobs at all,” Muo asserts. “I think it’s here as a tool to help us improve our lives and to invest more in the lives of our associates,” potentially easing workloads and enabling more strategic human input.
Leadership with a soul: Creating a healthy environment where high performance doesn’t lead to burnout comes down to leadership. “Leadership requires having a soul,” Muo states. It demands “reading between the lines, looking at the invisible truths, reading the silence in the room, and being able to understand what that means,” she says. This empathetic leadership is key to reassessing directions and reinvesting in associates in meaningful ways, so organizations continuously refine their cultures for the better.
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