The Hidden Struggles of High Performers | Stress Awareness Month 2025
They’re the first to arrive and the last to leave. They smash their targets and take on more than they’re asked to, and they never seem to slow down. Every business has one: the high performer. You don’t know what you’d do without them, but at what cost?
April is Stress Awareness Month, which makes it the perfect time to take a closer look at the hidden toll high performance can take, especially in the high-pressure world of sales. In this blog, we’re sharing the signs of a stressed high performer and, most importantly, ways you can support these vital members of staff.
The Hidden Struggle of High Performers
There’s a common misconception that if someone is doing well at work, they must be doing well in general. Unfortunately, high performers are often the last people to ask for help. In fact, when surveyed, 20% of the UK’s top-performing business leaders said their mental health was affected by corporate burnout.
The anxiety of seeming a ‘liability’ or ‘unable to cope’ can mean their problems are left to fester until breaking point. This might look like:
- Setting unrealistically high standards for themselves (and sometimes others)
- Struggling to switch off from work at home & on annual leave
- Taking on lots of additional work to help their teammates
- Downplaying their stress as ‘just part of the job’
In the world of sales, these behaviours can easily fly under the radar. They can even be seen as signs of commitment and success, rather than red flags. In such a target-driven industry, getting the deals by any means necessary can come at the cost of your well-being.
The Cost of Ignoring Warning Signs
It might seem unnecessary to spend time and budget on something your team seems to be handling just fine. But unchecked stress in your top performers causes a ripple effect across your business. Ignoring mental well-being can lead to decreased productivity across the board, even going as far as affecting your bottom line.
As of 2024, around 17 million working days a year were lost to illness caused by stress. In sales, where consistency is vital, it means pipeline momentum slows, touchpoints aren’t being made and, ultimately, deals are lost.
You can also risk losing your top performers entirely. When surveyed, 1 in 10 people said they are considering leaving their current role because of stress. When talented employees feel unsupported, they don’t stick around. The cost of replacing an SDR is high, and if it happens often, it can damage your reputation and make future hiring even harder.
What Should You Look Out For?
It’s not always obvious when someone is struggling, especially when they have become accustomed to pushing it down to seem ‘competent’. The easiest way to monitor your workforce is through their outcomes: meetings, deals, etc. But there are other indicators that are worth paying attention to:
- Changes in behaviour: Are they suddenly more withdrawn or snappy? Are they less engaged in team activities and meetings or less likely to share their opinion?
- Working longer hours: Salespeople rarely leave the office on time, so this might be harder to keep track of. But, if they’re emailing at 10pm regularly & always the last one to leave, there might be a problem.
- Not delegating work: In a supportive team, it’s normal to share work when you need help or if someone is particularly good at something. If your high performers are avoiding help, you may want to ask questions.
How to Support Them
Nobody wants to feel singled out for struggling, especially when you pride yourself on being dependable. So, it’s important to create a culture where it’s okay to talk about stress, without judgement or fear of looking weak. This is a long-term solution, and it can be daunting if you haven’t thought about company culture beyond socials and personality types.
Small actions you take as a manager or employer can, over time, bring about lasting change. So, here are a few practical things you can do:
- Don’t leave it until someone is actively resenting their job and burning out; regularly check in with your team to solve problems as they happen. During these conversations you need to go beyond KPIs – a simple open question can go a long way.
- As a leader, it’s important that you model healthy boundaries and practices. If you make a habit of working till midnight and never taking time off, people will notice. Ensure your team knows that taking breaks and having balance isn’t just allowed but encouraged.
- There’s a big difference between thriving under pressure and being afraid to say no. When someone is consistently overdelivering, it’s your job to find out the cause and adjust their workload.
- In sales it’s normal to celebrate the deals, record fees and conversions as a team. But it’s also important to also recognise the behind-the-scenes effort and teamwork that goes into success.
Your high performer might look like they’ve got it all together. But even the most driven, capable people need support. In fact, they often need it the most. So, this Stress Awareness Month, take some time to assess your provisions for the mental well-being of your team. But remember, lasting change is a continuous effort that lasts throughout the year.
