Why High Performers Still Need Support and Structure

Research & Sources / Personal & Career Development

The fastest driver in Formula 1 does not race alone. There is a pit crew that changes tyres in seconds, an engineer on the radio, and a team analysing every lap. Nobody thinks the driver is weak for needing them. They are the reason the driver can drive at the limit. High performers at work are no different.

The myth of the self-made performer

There is a popular picture of the high performer as someone who does it all alone: disciplined, driven, needing nobody. Many capable professionals and entrepreneurs believe this picture about themselves. Asking for support feels like admitting weakness.

In reality, the people who perform at the highest level for the longest usually have the most support, not the least.

What high performers risk without support

Burnout. High performers take on more, carry more and stop later. The World Health Organization describes burnout as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.¹ Driven people are especially at risk because they push through warning signs.

Collaborative overload. Rob Cross and colleagues found that a small share of helpful, capable people end up carrying a large share of collaborative work, which can drain their energy and performance.²

Blind spots. Success makes feedback rarer. People stop telling high performers what they could do better.

Drift. Without structure, even capable people end up reacting to everything instead of focusing on what matters most.

What research says about support

Anthony Grant and colleagues ran a randomised study with executives. Those who received coaching made more progress on their goals and showed more resilience and well-being than those who did not.³ Meta-analyses of workplace coaching confirm positive effects on learning and results.⁴

Anders Ericsson’s research on experts showed that even the best performers improve through practice with an experienced coach who gives honest feedback.⁵

What good support looks like

• Structure: clear priorities, regular reviews, protected time for important work.
• A thinking partner: someone to test decisions with.
• Honest feedback: from people who are not afraid to say what they see.
• Recovery: real breaks, holidays and boundaries.
• Accountability: someone who asks whether you did what you said you would.

What this means for you this week

• List the support you currently have: who helps you think, recover and stay on track?
• Find the biggest gap in that list.
• Take one step to fill it: a conversation, a booking, a request.
• Plan your next real break and put it in the calendar.

The best drivers know exactly how much they depend on their team. That is part of why they are the best.

Sources

1. World Health Organization (2019). Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”. who.intBurnout defined as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed: exhaustion, distance from one’s job and reduced efficacy.
2. Cross, R., Rebele, R. & Grant, A. (2016). Collaborative Overload. Harvard Business Review. hbr.orgTime spent in collaborative activities has grown strongly; a small share of people carries a large share of the load and risks burnout.
3. Grant, A. M., Curtayne, L. & Burton, G. (2009). Executive coaching enhances goal attainment, resilience and workplace well-being: a randomised controlled study. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(5), 396-407. doi.orgCoached executives made more progress on goals and showed more resilience and well-being than a comparison group.
4. Jones, R. J., Woods, S. A. & Guillaume, Y. R. F. (2016). The effectiveness of workplace coaching: A meta-analysis. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 89(2), 249-277. doi.orgWorkplace coaching has positive effects on learning, attitudes and individual results.
5. Ericsson, K. A., Prietula, M. J. & Cokely, E. T. (2007). The Making of an Expert. Harvard Business Review. hbr.orgExpertise comes mainly from years of deliberate practice with honest feedback from a coach, also in management.