It is generally accepted that success breeds confidence, and confidence increases the ability to handle pressure. And yet, as the experiences of Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka have shown over the past three months, the story is not so simple. While success can indeed breed confidence, it can also increase visibility, multiply expectations, and raise pressure to unhealthy levels over time. When you are leading star performers, you need to recognize the double-edged nature of success and help them do two things: keep the stakes of failure in perspective and manage the volume of demands for their time.
Managing Star Performers in High-Pressure Situations
What leaders can learn from top athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka.
August 18, 2021
Summary.
The pressure that can overcome star performers is a function of three things: the importance of a situation’s outcome, the uncertainty of the outcome, and the volume of tasks, decisions, and distractions surrounding the outcome. Coaches can help them handle the pressure of a high-stakes event by reducing the overwhelming baggage they can attach to failure by getting them to see what’s important to them that won’t change regardless of the outcome, and by aiding them in realizing which tasks and distractions they can put aside.
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Coaching. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Learn how to help your employees become the best they can be.