Killing It at Work But Still Worried? You Might Be an ‘Anxious Overachiever.’
There are plenty of reasons employees might be feeling more insecure at work these days: fears that generative artificial intelligence could wipe out our jobs; mass layoffs; the rise of remote work and, with it, ever-shifting return-to-office policies. It’s not surprising that rates of workplace stress and anxiety have measurably increased post-pandemic.
And some employers prefer it this way.
Laura Empson, a professor at London’s Bayes Business School and author of Leading Professionals, has repeatedly called out elite companies for intentionally recruiting and hiring what talent professionals have called “insecure overachievers:” talented, hardworking people driven by their fears of inadequacy.
That’s because such employees can be a dream to manage: A boss’s role might consist of simply aiming them in the right direction and watching them excel.
Never finished proving themselves, these ambitious strivers look to their employers for affirmation. They take comfort in working for brand-name businesses, finding the prestige reassuring. The strong company cultures at elite institutions initially feel comforting — there’s a reason “cult” and “culture” stem from the same root word.
They are self-motivating and self-disciplining. They “never rest on their laurels – or even rest,” as Empson has written. Employers love their commitment.
“There is a sense that anxious achievers will deliver because they feel like their self-worth is on the line,” adds Morra Aarons-Mele, author of The Anxious Achiever. That can spur incredible results.
But anxiety can also sometimes get in their way, Aarons-Mele says, driving them to a level of perfectionism that results in fuzzy priorities and missed deadlines. “Sometimes anxious achievers can trip themselves up,” she says. “And I speak from experience.”
If you fall into this camp, you may already be recognizing yourself. Maybe you get glowing performance ratings yet worry you’re about to be fired. Maybe you think your family’s affection or approval hinges on your success. Maybe you feel the need to overdeliver to justify how much you bill for each six-minute increment. Maybe people tell you to “lower your standards” or “remember what’s most important.” And maybe burnout is starting to feel like a way of life.