Some of the most dedicated people on your team can be the hardest to read. They rarely complain, rarely slow down, and rarely let anyone see the strain they are under. From the outside, they seem unshakable and always in control, quietly carrying more than anyone realizes. But, that is exactly what makes burnout in this group so sneaky and dangerous.
Recent research from Alua shows that burnout is often difficult to identify. High achievers tend to normalize stress. They shrug off missed sleep, irritability, or that creeping sense of exhaustion as just part of the job. They push through, telling themselves and everyone else that they are fine until they are not.
This is the burnout paradox: the very traits that make someone excel, such as drive, reliability, and commitment, also make them least likely to notice they are running on empty.
Subtle Signs You Cannot Ignore
Burnout in high performers often does not reveal itself in dramatic breakdowns. Instead, it is quiet – a once-enthusiastic team member who seems distant, sarcastic, or emotionally checked out. Alua notes that detachment is often the brain's way of creating distance from something it sees as harmful.
Other early signs can include lingering fatigue, decision fatigue, increased mistakes, or leaning too heavily on caffeine to get through the day. These are easy to dismiss as busy season behavior, but for someone who is always powering through, they can signal serious burnout waiting to happen.
How Leaders Can Help
Preventing burnout is not about asking high performers to dial back their ambition. It is about helping them sustain it.
- Notice effort, not just output. Praise problem-solving, collaboration, and smart prioritization, not just the hours someone puts in.
- Encourage real recovery. Breaks are part of doing great work. Normalize saying no to nonessential work and model balance yourself.
- Check in with curiosity. When someone reliable starts acting off, ask how they are feeling, not just how their workload is going.
- Rethink what success looks like. If the only people being recognized are those who go above and beyond, you may be rewarding overwork instead of sustainable performance.
Redefining High Performance
The strongest teams are not made up of people who can push harder than anyone else. They are made up of people who know when to pause, reset, and return with focus and energy.
Supporting high performers means more than celebrating results. It means creating an environment where people can thrive without sacrificing their well-being. Leaders should watch for early signs of burnout, have honest conversations, and build a culture where sustainable performance is valued as much as outcomes. When people can do their best work without burning out, the whole organization benefits.
Source: HR Daily Advisor