High standards are not the problem; perfectionistic concern is what tracks with executive burnout. Meta-analytic evidence and Freud on the harsh superego.
Perfectionism in managers has two faces. Contemporary research separates perfectionistic strivings—high goals, demanding personal standards, and a drive for excellence—from perfectionistic concerns—fear of mistakes, a persistent gap between what is and what ought to be, and acute sensitivity to the judgment of others. The short answer is that high standards by themselves are not consistently associated with burnout. What shows a medium-to-large positive association with burnout is perfectionistic concern, and in some analyses this link was more pronounced in the work domain.
Which dimension of perfectionism burns managers out?
Hill and Curran (2016), in a meta-analysis published in Personality and Social Psychology Review, combined data from 43 studies with 9,838 participants. Perfectionistic strivings had a small negative or nonsignificant relationship with overall burnout; perfectionistic concerns, in contrast, showed a moderate-to-large positive relationship with burnout. The finding most relevant to leaders was that in the work domain, some analyses found perfectionistic strivings to be less adaptive and perfectionistic concerns to be more maladaptive than in other domains.
Quotable passage: The problem is not high standards; it is the fear of not reaching them. This conclusion aligns with the meta-analytic findings of Hill and Curran.
When every number must be flawless, the big picture gets harder to see — Image: RDNE Stock project / Pexels
Is perfectionism increasing among newer generations?
Curran and Hill (2019), in Psychological Bulletin, examined birth cohort differences using data from 164 samples and 41,641 American, Canadian, and British college students from 1989 to 2016. All three dimensions of perfectionism—self-oriented perfectionism, socially prescribed perfectionism, and other-oriented perfectionism—increased linearly across the period. The largest increase occurred in socially prescribed perfectionism, the sense that “others demand more from me.” This evidence comes from student samples; whether it generalises to today’s managers in Tehran, Toronto and Dubai has not yet been tested [needs further research].
How does perfectionism tie into performance?
Osenk et al. (2020), in a meta-analysis of 67 studies and 378 effect sizes published in Psychological Assessment, tested whether perfectionism or the pursuit of excellence contributes to successful learning. Subscales related to high standards had positive relationships with academic performance and beneficial outcomes, but all perfectionistic-concern subscales had positive relationships with adverse outcomes, including academic burnout, test anxiety, and procrastination. For a chief executive or chief financial officer, the practical translation is direct: the same meticulous mind that makes a report precise, when fueled by fear of error, may postpone a decision and make delegation difficult; this is a clinical reading, since the meta-analytic data come from students. High standards can sharpen performance; the worry of not being enough can quietly undo it.
Good leadership is played with strategy, not with fear of every wrong move — Image: Ramin Aghaei / Pexels
What does Freud say about the inner voice of “never enough”?
Freud, in The Ego and the Id (1923; SE vol. 19: 3–66), understands the superego as the heir to the Oedipus complex: the internalized representative of the parents that measures the ego against the ego ideal. In his account, the tension between the demands of conscience and the actual functioning of the ego is experienced as guilt, and a substantial portion of this guilt remains unconscious. Perfectionistic concern, from this perspective, is the same harsh superego that never regards any achievement as sufficient. The internal voice that says “not yet good enough” is not simply a rational standard; it is the residue of an internalized parental demand.
This Freudian insight fits the distinction Hill and Curran found: striving toward a high standard can draw on the ego ideal and generate energy, whereas perfectionistic concern feeds on unconscious guilt and burns energy. A manager who recognizes this difference can maintain the standard while making the inner judge more humane. The goal is not to lower ambition but to separate it from punishment.
What can managers do?
First, separate the two voices: “This project can be excellent” belongs to striving; “If I make a mistake, everyone will know I am not enough” belongs to concern. Second, for every decision, before starting, write down the criterion for “good enough” so that the finish line does not silently move after the work is done. Third, practice delegation by accepting differences in taste rather than rewriting the team’s work; clinically, the need to correct every detail is often a signal of perfectionistic concern, not strivings. Finally, if a vague guilt returns after every success, a conversation with a psychoanalyst can illuminate its unconscious roots.
Perfectionism in managers is not the enemy of success; perfectionistic concern is what is linked to burnout. The good news is that ambition can be retained while the voice of “never enough” is recognized and calmed. A manager who distinguishes between the ego ideal and unconscious guilt has a better path to leading the organization and protecting themselves from burnout.
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Hill AP, Curran T. Multidimensional Perfectionism and Burnout: A Meta-Analysis. Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2016;20(3):269-88. PMID: 26231736. DOI: 10.1177/1088868315596286
Curran T, Hill AP. Perfectionism is increasing over time: A meta-analysis of birth cohort differences from 1989 to 2016. Psychol Bull. 2019;145(4):410-429. PMID: 29283599. DOI: 10.1037/bul0000138
Osenk I, Williamson P, Wade TD. Does perfectionism or pursuit of excellence contribute to successful learning? A meta-analytic review. Psychol Assess. 2020;32(10):972-983. PMID: 32718164. DOI: 10.1037/pas0000942
Freud S. (1923). The Ego and the Id. In: Strachey J, ed. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Vol. 19. London: Hogarth Press: 3-66.
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Featured image: MART PRODUCTION / Pexels · In-text images: RDNE Stock project / Pexels; Ramin Aghaei / Pexels.
