There is nothing wrong with greatness and achievement, so don’t get me wrong on this, but often the payout is a definite “downside.”
Quite often, there are negative personality traits that go along with some of the traits that seem to “accomplish the impossible.” Not all “shakers and movers” create havoc or make others miserable, but many do.
Some of the traits of a Type A personality are as follows:
· Competition
· Impatience
· Perfectionism
· Prone to stress and anxiety
Competition does not have to be a negative thing, in and of itself, that is, if you remove the need to win and see it as something enjoyable and an opportunity to show class and good sportsmanship in the absence of a “win,” then it is a positive thing, indeed.
Impatience can be a “positive,” if it spurs us on to solutions and problem-solving. It needs to be in short doses and only utilized as a catalyst for improvement of ourselves or situations.
Perfectionism is a very destructive force because it is seldom put only on ourselves, but an unreal expectation of others is part of the perfectionists’ pathology. If reaching “perfection” causes or costs us and others their health and happiness, in my book, nothing needs to be perfect other than heaven.
Being prone to stress and anxiety simply compounds the pathological traits of the Type A personality, when you are never at peace or satisfied.
Many times Type A’s are evolved rather than created (born this way). It can be the result of childhood neglect or abuse. It can be a result of “underachieving” as a child and being ridiculed as a result. It can simply be a natural outgrowth of narcissism. But, many times they just are not people we enjoy being around or spending time with. A lot of the time, bosses will be the Type A personalities and this CAN be counterproductive as Type A personalities do not inspire; anyone under them acts out of “fear of not achieving.” This, I consider a “Negative Positive” which as we know would cancel one another out. I cannot speak with authority on this as I haven’t done a formal study or experiment here, but I would be willing to bet there are more coaches with winning teams who aren’t Type A’s! It would make more sense to me that the wins come from the players who “worship” their coaches!
We can achieve and accomplish and it can all come from a good place and not hurt others or make them uncomfortable. Let us all examine the origin of our needs to achieve and make sure it isn’t pathological, but rather from a pure place.
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