Chapter 1: The High Achiever

Even though we like to assume that our past stays in the past, the truth is we draw on our past experiences in order to make choices for the future. But what if those experiences have a negative impact on our present-day reality? In this audio book chapter (Chapter 1) of Composure: The Art of Executive Presence, author Kate Purmal introduces motivational patterns that are common among high achievers, and how those patterns may be self-sabotaging your success. With a deep dive into both extrinsic (external) and intrinsic (internal) motivational patterns, Kate illustrates how we often achieve success through an over-emphasis on external validation, which can make us feel stuck or unworthy. This is especially true for those in underrepresented groups that don’t identify with the dominant demographic in a workplace environment (also referred to as the out group).