Addicted to Achievement - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, EdD, NEA-BC

Several weeks ago, I did a strengths-based leadership workshop with a group of leaders who took the Gallup Clifton Strength Finder in advance of the workshop. We know from the work of Gallup that you will be most effective in your leadership if you leverage your unique talents and strengths. But the caveat about your strengths is that if overused, they can also lead to your self-destruction.

The achievement strength is a good example. People exceptionally talented the in achievement theme work hard and have a great deal of stamina. They can focus on their goals and achieve them, but it may never be enough. Achievement of one goal quickly leads to another goal and the cycle continues to achieve self-validation through goal achievement. It may never be enough. One leader shared her story:

I now see my problem, she said. I am addicted to achievement and have been all my life. It has led me to workaholism and to ignoring other essential things in my life. I can never savor the moment. I have always been the type of person who applies for every award and is competitive with my colleagues. It seems that I am always keeping score. I have this internal fire that burns all the time – just the other day, I applied for another graduate program. I don’t need to go back to school as I already have one graduate degree, but I feel it is never enough.

Achievement addicts like this leader live a life structured psychologically around accumulating achievements. Once an achievement is reached, it is back to square one. Many successful nurse leaders have achievement as one of their signature themes. When leveraged well, the achiever theme can lead to great career success, but it can lead to burnout and even depression if it is not moderated.

Overachievers can be challenging to work for because they may demand more and more of their staff. Their need to be recognized for their achievements can make it difficult to shine the light on others. Social media can be problematic for high achievers because they keep score of what others are doing. We live in a culture that rewards high achievement. We measure success in life against our accomplishments. We can be critical of those whose ambitions are not as great as ours.

As we discussed in this leadership session, no one will put the brakes on your behavior but you. Achievement can become a way of life that has the potential to harm unless you’re careful. It can be challenging to find a sense of peace. Ultimately without stopping yourself, you may never achieve a state of well-being. Arthur Brooks recommends that as a first step, admit that as successful as you are, were, or hope to be in your life and work; you are not going to find true happiness on the hedonic treadmill of your professional life. Celebrate what you have achieved, and don’t sacrifice relationships. When you contemplate that next goal, be sure to ask yourself why you are doing it, and if there is no purpose, be okay with stopping yourself.

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