The Anxious Achiever

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Around the beginning of the pandemic, we were all scrambling. It was one of the most volatile, anxiety-provoking times I can recall.

I called my friend Sarah to check in on her and see how business was going. She told me that her company was in an uproar—the CEO had pretty much disappeared. The numbers did not look good, and the CEO had holed up in his office to make detailed projections of all aspects of the business. His team felt unsettled by his absence—even though they knew he was working really, really hard—especially at a time when they needed reassuring and visible leadership.

I can sympathize with this CEO. The deep dive into worst-case-scenario planning gave him a sense of control in the midst of a frightening situation, ...