Leading with purpose: the hidden motivators behind high performance

6 Feb

"Nobody wants to work with you because you’re fat."

Said nobody ever - except my inner critic 😱

On the surface, things are going well. I'm running a growing business, on track to graduate with a First in psychology, and making progress in many areas of my life. From the outside, I look like I have it together.

But one key area felt out of alignment - my health.

As a coach, I talk about growth, high performance, and taking ownership of change. Yet when it came to my own body, I wasn’t practicing what I preached. And that disconnect between what I knew and what I was actually doing was gnawing at me.

Because here’s the thing: intelligent, high-achieving people get stuck too sometimes.

Not because we’re lazy. Not because we don’t know what to do. But because motivation isn’t as simple as logic or willpower. It’s driven by deeper psychological forces that shape our choices, often without us realising.

Once I identified what was really holding me back, everything shifted. And I started to see these same forces playing out not just in personal growth, but in leadership, business growth, and personal performance.

So let’s talk about them. Because the better we understand what truly drives us, the better we can lead - not just in our work, but in our own lives.

Why even high achievers struggle with motivation

High achievers aren’t strangers to setting goals. We thrive on solving complex problems, pushing boundaries, and taking ownership of big challenges. So why is it that, in certain areas of our lives, we just can’t seem to get traction?

It’s frustrating because it’s not a knowledge problem: we already know what to do. It’s not a discipline problem either: we show up, deliver, and handle high-pressure environments all the time. And yet, there are moments when we look at ourselves and think: Why can I lead teams, drive product strategy, and execute ambitious roadmaps - but still struggle to apply that same drive to my own life?

Maybe for you, it’s not health. Maybe it’s the book you’ve been meaning to write, the business idea you haven’t started, or the work-life balance you never quite achieve.

The point is: this gap between what we know and what we do isn’t about intelligence or ability. It’s driven by deeper, often invisible psychological forces which, if left unchecked, can keep even the most capable people stuck.

So what are they? Let’s break them down.

The four psychological motivators that shape our actions

People typically attribute motivation to surface-level factors, such as discipline, willpower, passion or interest, and often overlook the deeper psychological drivers. Here we explore each of the four in turn:

The fear of running out of time, aka death anxiety

At some level, we all know time is finite. But we don’t always feel it until something forces us to confront it - a health scare, a major life transition, or simply the realisation that years are passing faster than we expected. Death anxiety isn’t just about literal survival - it’s about whether we’re making the most of our time. Are we living in alignment with what actually matters? Are we building something meaningful? High achievers are often driven by this question, even if we don’t consciously acknowledge it.

The inner critic’s grip, aka imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome isn’t self-doubt or a lack of confidence - it’s the habit of devaluing your own success. No matter how much you achieve, you convince yourself it wasn’t a big deal, that it was luck, or that others could have done it better. The inner critic fuels this. It’s the voice that magnifies your flaws, raises the bar every time you succeed, and tells you you’re never quite good enough. It often comes from past experiences, be that authority figures, cultural expectations or perfectionism, and shapes an internal narrative that you must always prove yourself. For high achievers, this becomes a trap: the more you accomplish, the more the inner critic finds to criticise. The instinct is to overcompensate or push harder, but real growth comes from recognising this pattern and challenging the voice that keeps moving the goalposts.

The power to change, aka self-efficacy and agency

One of the most powerful drivers of motivation is belief in our ability to affect change and that we will succeed in doing so. Without self-efficacy, even small obstacles feel insurmountable. But every time we take action - however small - we reinforce the idea that we are capable of shaping our own outcomes. This applies to everything from personal habits to leading teams through uncertainty. The key is to focus on small wins that prove we have more control than we think.

Who we are is what we do, aka identity and sense of self

Identity isn’t just about how we see ourselves - it’s shaped by what we do and reinforced by the people around us. If you take up running you may not see yourself as a runner, just as a new leader may not fully feel like one. But through repeated action, that identity takes shape. We often assume identity drives behaviour, but it actually works both ways - they are mutually constructed. The more we act in alignment with a new role whether it’s as an athlete, a leader, or a high performer, the more it becomes part of who we are. Lasting change isn’t just about setting goals: it’s about taking action until those actions reshape how we see ourselves. In this way our identity isn’t fixed - it’s built, one decision at a time.

How to apply this to your life

Understanding what drives us is one thing - applying it is another. The key isn’t waiting for motivation, but using these psychological forces to your advantage.

First, audit your identity. Who do you believe you are? Who do you want to become? Then, take small, consistent actions that reinforce that identity. If you want to be healthier, eat and move like a healthy person. If you want to be a stronger leader, lead with intention. It can really help to identify role models who embody the qualities you want to develop - observe their habits, decision-making, and mindset, then integrate what resonates with you in a way that fits your stage of growth.

Build self-efficacy by setting challenges just beyond your comfort zone: wins, even small ones, reinforce the belief that you can change. Notice when imposter syndrome or the inner critic show up, and challenge the voice that keeps moving the goalposts. It’s trying to keep you safe, but in doing so is keeping you from achieving your full potential.

Most importantly, remember that the time to start is now. Growth isn’t about waiting to feel ready, it’s about acting in a way that aligns with the person you want to become.