How Insecure Overachievers Sabotage High Performers

8 hours ago7 min read3 comments

You’ve likely encountered a Matt in your career—the colleague who outworks everyone, climbs relentlessly, yet leaves a trail of fractured relationships and disenchanted teams in their wake. Matt’s story is a classic case of the insecure overachiever, a personality archetype I’ve encountered repeatedly in my conversations with professionals across industries.These individuals are exceptionally capable, yet their drive stems not from a desire to contribute, but from a deep-seated, gnawing fear of being perceived as not smart enough, not valued enough, simply not enough. The distinction is deceptively subtle.Healthy ambition, the kind that builds connection and fosters innovation, is rooted in a genuine want to create value. Insecure overachievement, however, is a defense mechanism, a relentless pursuit designed to prove worth and quiet a persistent internal anxiety.What makes this pattern so pernicious, and so fascinating from a human behavior perspective, is that organizations often actively reward the dysfunction. These individuals stay later, work harder, and consistently over-deliver on measurable outputs, making them darlings of management—until the hidden costs inevitably surface.I recall a project manager I interviewed, let’s call her Sarah, who described her former boss, a ‘Matt’ figure, as creating an environment where wins brought only fleeting relief before the anxiety about the next goal kicked in. She watched as her boss’s self-worth became dangerously intertwined with output; a bad day at work equated to being a bad person.This is where the behavior turns destructive, because insecurity, like a virus, rarely stays contained. To shore up their own fragile egos, insecure overachievers often, consciously or not, diminish those around them.When your sense of worth feels perpetually threatened, making others feel smaller can provide a temporary, illusory relief. As Axios cofounder Jim VandeHei starkly warned, 'Nothing destroys more relationships, teams, or companies than insecure people in power.It’s an insidious form of cancer. ' The real tragedy unfolds during a crisis.This 'play not to lose' mentality, born of fear, magnifies under pressure. While competitors with healthier, more collaborative cultures adapt and gain ground, the team led by an insecure overachiever often fractures, its best and boldest members having already been pushed out for challenging the status quo.The path forward, for those who recognize these tendencies in themselves, isn’t about abandoning ambition but realigning it. It’s a shift from proving something to improving something.This involves a fundamental reorientation of one’s internal compass. The Roman philosopher Cicero’s concept of the *Summon Bonum*—the highest good—is a useful anchor here.Until we are more committed to a positive future outcome, our actions will be perpetually governed by the fear of a negative one. This means trading the exhausting work of constantly impressing others for the more sustainable energy of personal growth and genuine contribution.The irony, as organizational psychologist Adam Grant’s research into meaningful work suggests, is that this shift doesn’t diminish success; it makes it more durable and commands greater respect over time. It requires practical steps, like scheduling non-negotiable recovery—treating rest with the same seriousness as a crucial board meeting—and practicing radical self-compassion.Dr. Kristin Neff’s work shows that being kind to oneself, talking to yourself as you would a trusted friend, actually improves performance by reducing the very fear that fuels the over-functioning.It’s about befriending that younger version of yourself who learned, perhaps long ago, that achievement was the only currency for love or acceptance. For leaders managing these high performers, the temptation to simply enjoy the output while ignoring the corrosive patterns is a dangerous short-term gamble.Spotting the early warnings is crucial: the team member who rarely delegates, constantly seeks reassurance despite obvious competence, or obsesses over managing upward while neglecting their own team. Having direct, compassionate conversations about workload and, more importantly, helping them see how their drive affects team dynamics—not just individual metrics—is essential.Recognition must be reframed from celebrating only results to acknowledging effort and collaborative contribution. As Harvard’s Amy Edmondson’s research on psychological safety demonstrates, teams become more innovative and resilient when people feel safe to be imperfect.Ultimately, leaders must model the healthy boundaries they wish to see; sending midnight emails and working weekends only reinforces the very behaviors they claim to want to change. The world needs ambitious, driven professionals.But the healthiest ambition, the kind that builds lasting legacies, comes from a commitment to outcomes that transcend self-interest and the ceaseless need to alleviate insecurity. The real question for any of us isn’t whether we’re achieving enough, but whether we’re achieving for the right reasons, and whether our drive serves to lift others up or, as in Matt’s case, quietly tears them down.Sustainable success isn’t a zero-sum game of proving your worth at others’ expense; it’s the far more rewarding practice of expressing your potential while actively helping others do the same. Don’t be a Matt. We have enough of them already.

#insecure overachievers

#workplace psychology

#toxic leadership

#management

#self-compassion

#featured

Stay Informed. Act Smarter.

Get weekly highlights, major headlines, and expert insights — then put your knowledge to work in our live prediction markets.