Rethinking high performance

Spencer Jones

Guest Columnist

July 27, 2026

What does high performance mean to you?

What does it look like in your organization?

For many years, we’ve measured high performance by one thing: results.

The “hustle” and “grind” culture only reinforced that idea, producing massive results, no matter the cost to human capital.

We’ve assumed that if a person is producing results, they must be a high performer.

But maybe we’ve been measuring the wrong thing.

Culture shapes outcomes 

Let’s look at two organizations.

Company A and Company B produce the same widgets and deliver nearly identical performance metrics across the board. 

From the outside, they look equally successful.

But inside, they are building two very different cultures and futures. 

Company A’s leader and team are calm, clear and collaborative, while Company B’s are reactive, exhausted and constantly fighting fires.

I don’t know about you, but I would much rather work for Company A.

If both companies produce nearly identical numbers, why does one feel healthy, while the other feels exhausted?

In my last four “Burnout” columns, I’ve examined the many layers of burnout – from the way pressure shapes our identity to the impact chronic stress has on the brain and body to how leadership stress can ripple through an entire organization.

But understanding the problem is only the first step.

The bigger question – and what I will focus on in this column – is what should organizations and leaders be working toward instead?

Measuring what matters 

I believe we have confused output with performance.

Perhaps the goal isn’t simply producing more.

Maybe the goal is producing well – sustainably – for years.

The majority of organizations measure things like revenue, growth, utilization, productivity and other KPIs. 

Those are great and can tell us a good amount about the organization – on paper.

But metrics alone only tell part of the story.

They show what was achieved – not whether the people responsible for those results can continue performing at that level. 

Is a company reaching its targets while quietly burning through its people?

What if organizations didn’t have to choose?

To do that, we need to rethink what it means to be a high performer.

Sustainable human performance

Sustainable human performance is the ability to continue leading with clarity, effectiveness and resilience under pressure – without sacrificing your health, your relationships or the people around you.

And this isn’t just a philosophy.

It’s increasingly supported by what we’re learning about leadership, stress and organizational health.

As I shared in previous columns, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

And if burnout is created within the workplace, then preventing it cannot be left solely to employees.

Sustainability is not a personal project to complete after hours – it is an organizational responsibility.

Organizations must examine the systems, expectations and cultures that shape how people work.

Seems drastic?

The World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization estimate that long working hours contribute to 745,000 deaths globally.

This statistic is not meant to create fear – but to highlight a reality: ignoring sustainability comes with measurable consequences. 

So, what should leaders measure?

Instead of focusing only on metrics like “Did we hit the number?” leaders should also pay attention to the signals behind those results.

That starts with asking questions like: 

• How quickly are decisions being made?
• Are leaders becoming bottlenecks?
• Are the same conflicts repeating?
• What’s happening to turnover?
• Are people taking ownership?
• Are people recovering between high-pressure seasons?

When companies look at both the KPIs and the warning signals, they get a fuller picture of how the organization is actually performing.

Those signals often reveal problems long before revenue or productivity reports do.

When I look back at the different leadership positions I had and businesses I built, I may have been performing – but I wasn’t performing sustainably.

I was borrowing from tomorrow to survive today.

And eventually, I hit rock bottom because of it.

For years, the hustle and grind culture celebrated things like sleeping less, carrying more, always being available, etc.

Maybe those aren’t signs of strength.

Perhaps they are warning signs.

Because eventually, every organization pays the bill.

I believe the future belongs to organizations that don’t simply produce high performers. 

They develop leaders who can stay calm, think clearly, recover quickly, maintain relationships and make long-term decisions. 

They sustain that performance.

Redefining high performance 

The future of business is changing quickly.

AI is accelerating.

Markets are shifting.

Change is happening faster than ever.

The competitive advantage won’t come from working harder.

It will be leaders who remain calm and steady while everything around them continues to evolve.

That will make the difference between companies that keep rushing and those that fall behind.

Performance isn’t measured by how much pressure someone can survive.

It’s measured by what remains after years of carrying it.

That’s the future I believe organizations should be building.

One where sustainable human performance isn’t the exception.

If we continue measuring only output, we’ll continue getting the same results.

It’s time to redefine what high performance actually means.

One where sustainable human performance isn’t the exception, but the standard.

Next month, I’ll wrap up this series by exploring what begins to change when leaders rebuild from the inside out.