What if the key to high performance isn’t pushing harder, but knowing when to pause?

In leadership, the line between ambition and burnout is thinner than we think. True performance isn’t about doing more; it’s about creating the boundaries that protect your energy, wellbeing, and focus.

In this episode of Let’s Talk, People, Emily sits down with Janet N. Ahn, PhD, behavioral science expert and experimental social psychologist, and Founder of Perilla & Co., to explore how leaders can balance performance and wellbeing in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. Together, they unpack how prioritizing wellness can transform the way we work and help us lead from a place of wholeness rather than depletion.

Whether you’re a high performer on the edge of burnout or a leader trying to build healthier team dynamics, this conversation will help you reimagine what balance and wellbeing really look like in modern leadership, and how to lead without losing yourself.

Timestamps: 

• [00:03:49] Redefining Success for High Performers – Janet opens up about the pressure to constantly achieve and why redefining what “success” looks like is essential for balancing performance and wellbeing in fast-paced roles.
• [00:10:41] When Effort Doesn’t Equal Impact – Emily and Janet discuss how leaders often confuse activity with progress and how focusing on meaningful outcomes, instead of endless action, helps teams stay energized and effective.
• [00:16:04] Boundaries as Leadership Signals – Emily and Janet unpack the subtle signals that tell you a boundary has been crossed (like resentment, exhaustion, tension within the team), and how leaders can reset expectations without losing compassion.
• [00:21:59] The Power of Choice – Janet challenges the “I have to” mindset so many high performers fall into, reminding leaders that reclaiming choice is the key to sustainable energy and self-trust.

Access the episode transcript.

Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to [email protected].

Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website.

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