Are you a peak performer, workaholic, or marginal performer? What’s the difference? The spirit and commitment to their work motivate peak performers. Workaholics are motivated by fear of failure while marginal performers often end up focusing on trivial, unimportant stuff.
I admit I’ve been a workaholic. I was addicted to my work. I thought I was a peak performer, but I wasn’t. My creative work and energy were all consuming. I thrived on it. The very long hours were challenging and happy hours. Fear of failure largely motivated me. Unfortunately, my work became toxic when it affected my personal relationships. I’d forgotten how to have fun.
We’re learning that too much work can be toxic, counter-productive, and just plain sickening. What makes a productive manager? It varies. But in one study, highly effective managers worked an average of 52 hours a week while less productive managers averaged 70 hours of work a week. The interesting fact is less productive, longer hour working managers suffered from ‘significantly greater depression and anxiety.