You judge your competence by ease and speed. If you can’t master a new territory, script, or role on the first try, you feel like a failure. You avoid challenges that require a learning curve because if you have to struggle, you assume you aren't actually good enough.

• The Cost: Risk aversion and avoidance of new growth opportunities.

You believe that true competence means doing it alone. You reject support, coaching, or resources because you feel that "needing help" is a sign of weakness. You carry the weight of the entire department not because you have to, but to prove you can.

• The Cost: Isolation, burnout, and acting as a bottleneck for team growth.

You measure your worth by how many roles you can juggle. You work harder and longer than everyone else—not just for results, but to cover up the insecurity that you don't actually belong at the table. You see downtime as laziness.

• The Cost: Chronic stress and eventual physical or mental burnout.

You measure competence by "how much" you know. You fear being exposed as inexperienced, so you constantly chase the next certification, data point, or training before you feel ready to speak up. You never feel like you know enough to lead.

• The Cost: Paralysis by analysis and slower decision-making.

You set the bar so high that 99% success feels like a failure. You fixate on the one minor detail that went wrong instead of the massive win you just achieved. You micromanage the process to ensure it’s flawless, turning your high standards into a bottleneck for execution.

• The Cost: Bottlenecks in decision-making and diminishing returns on effort.