Performance Punishment: When Success Becomes a Liability
High performers often get rewarded with more work, not more support. This “performance punishment” turns success into strain — promoting doers into leaders without space to lead. It’s time to rethink reward systems and help our best people grow, not burn out.
By David LeBlanc
Inspired by “When You’re the Executive Everyone Relies On — and You’re Burning Out,” Harvard Business Review, October 2025. (Shanna Hocking)
The Hidden Cost of Being Exceptional
In organizations everywhere, high performers become the ones we rely on most. They’re the people we trust to “get it done,” fix what’s broken, and pick up the slack. Their reward? Often, more work.
Shanna Hocking recently highlighted this in her Harvard Business Review article "When You’re the Executive Everyone Relies On—and You’re Burning Out" and this dynamic at the executive level — and how leaders who become “the person everyone depends on” can quickly reach burnout. But this isn’t just a C-suite problem. It happens at every level of the organization, from front-line managers to emerging leaders.
It’s a quiet phenomenon I call performance punishment — when competence is rewarded with additional load instead of additional support.
“We reward high performance by increasing pressure, not by increasing support.”
How It Happens
The “Go-To” Trap
Reliability breeds dependency. The moment someone proves they can deliver under pressure, they become the default choice for urgent projects, difficult clients, or organizational clean-ups. Over time, they stop being recognized for excellence and start being relied upon for endurance.
The Promotion Shortcut
When an employee consistently excels, the next “logical” step is often to make them a manager. But high performance in execution doesn’t automatically translate into skill in leading people. Without proper transition support — coaching, role clarity, or workload realignment — they end up managing by doing, not leading by developing.
The Leadership Paradox
Newly promoted leaders often face conflicting expectations: continue producing at the same level and lead others effectively. The system rarely provides time or structure for the mindset shift from “I succeed by delivering” to “I succeed by enabling others to deliver.”
The Organizational Fallout
- Burnout and attrition. The “go-to” becomes the “gone.”
- Underdeveloped teams. When leaders are still “doing,” teams can’t grow.
- Talent bottlenecks. Workflows slow because only a few people are trusted to do things “right.”
- Cultural erosion. When people see that success equals more burden, ambition turns into self-protection.
“If every time I excel I’m given more to carry, eventually I’ll stop raising my hand.”
From Punishment to Purposeful Elevation
The antidote to performance punishment isn’t less ambition — it’s better systems.
1. Recognize the pattern.
Leaders and HR teams must be alert to the subtle slide from recognition to exploitation. When someone’s workload grows faster than their development, it’s a red flag.
2. Redefine reward.
Instead of rewarding high performance with extra work, reward it with learning, growth, or leadership exposure — and remove something from their plate to make space.
3. Prepare for leadership transitions.
When promoting someone into management, ensure they receive coaching, mentoring, and clarity around what will stop being their responsibility. Leadership is not “the same job, plus people.”
4. Provide structure and support.
Create systems that protect capacity — not just productivity. Offer stretch assignments that expand perspective, not exhaustion.
5. Embed a coaching mindset.
Build reflection, feedback, and development into every role transition. Ask, “What does this person need to succeed in the next chapter, not just survive it?”
A Story We’ve All Seen
Meet Sarah.
She’s a high-achieving project manager — reliable, smart, and well-liked. When a senior colleague leaves, Sarah’s boss asks her to “temporarily” absorb their responsibilities. She delivers brilliantly. Within months, she’s promoted to lead the department.
The problem? She’s still doing her old job — plus managing others. No training. No relief. No time to reflect. Her team respects her, but they’re hesitant to take ownership because she’s still the expert. Within a year, Sarah is exhausted and considering leaving.
Now imagine if her promotion had come with structured off-boarding of her old responsibilities, a mentor, and coaching on delegation and trust. The organization would have gained a sustainable leader, not lost another high performer.
Why It Matters Now
In hybrid, fast-paced, and constantly changing workplaces, burnout is no longer just a personal issue — it’s a structural one. Organizations can’t afford to keep burning out their best people by equating performance with capacity.
When we pause to recognize and redesign this pattern, we transform the way we grow leaders. We replace “you’re good, so do more” with “you’re good, so let’s invest in you differently.”
Final Thought
High performers don’t need more work — they need more space to grow.
They need clarity, coaching, and systems that see them not just as producers but as potential leaders.
So the next time you catch yourself saying, “They’re amazing — let’s give them more,” pause and ask:
“What are we giving them for?”
Because that’s the moment when performance can either become punishment — or purpose.
