The Anxious Achiever

INTRODUCTION

The Open Secret and the Great White Whale

The newly minted vice president of global sales closes his office door and slumps into his chair. He’s worked for years to get this promotion, and everyone—the leadership team, his family, his colleagues, his friends—is thrilled. But instead of the joy and sense of accomplishment he expected and deserves, he’s worried, tense, distracted, and just plain scared. He can’t shake the feeling that it’s only a matter of time before his new team and managers realize he might not be up to the job.

Versions of this scenario occur in workplaces everywhere, every day. Certainly, the details vary from person to person, but vast numbers of us are deeply anxious at work. Some are the last people you’d ...