Dr LeCrone
03-24-2006, 02:05 PM
John was ambitious. He had worked hard for years in the company with the thought that one day he would assume a leadership role near the top of the hierarchy.
And it seemed to be working according to his plan. After a few years at the bottom of the sales force, his hard work earned him a supervisory role. The next step up the ladder came several years later when he was approached about becoming a member of management. Now he was happy and content, convinced that his dreams were being fulfilled.
By the time John was in his forties he had done all the right things to create an image of “the successful business man.” Modeling himself after many of the people in the company whom he considered leaders, he had joined the best country club, become a member of the church which he thought provided the most “visibility” in the business community, and had sent his children to private schools.
He had avoided situations which he thought might cause embarrassment. At one time his wife had wanted to move her parents to their city, but he vetoed this stating that they wouldn’t fit in the image he needed to continue to advance in the company. His children had wanted to attend the Boy Scout camp with some of their friends, but he insisted that they attend an expensive and highly selective summer camp for children of wealthier families. Although he detested golf, he was on the greens every Saturday, again to make the right contacts.
When John finally was made a vice-president, his happiness diminished. Within two months he was extremely depressed and despondent in his new position. First he fortified his disillusion with alcohol. Frequently he drove around after work with feelings of rear, apprehension and even panic on his mind. His power of concentration seemed lost and he became suspicious of his colleagues.
With John’s performance severely impaired, the company president called him in. Quickly ascertaining his unhappy state, he suggested professional counseling to unravel his source of difficulty and to seek some solution to his problem.
Because he trusted his supervisor, John complied. After a few sessions with a professional counselor it was revealed that the source of the difficulty was what some mental health experts call “fear of success.”
Although John had climbed the ladder of success, feelings he had developed about himself sabotaged this success. And attaining success had produced some unexpected and unpredicted effects.
Many in the mental health profession feel that the “fear of success” syndrome is most clearly evidenced in the profession, corporate and academic spheres. Coupled with this fear, phenomena such as burnout and midlife crisis are found.
John’s difficulties were treatable and were resolved.
• John was fortunate to have an immediate supervisor who was willing to help him.
• John was willing to accept the fact that he had a problem. He was not resistant to help.
• He was referred to a person who correctly diagnosed his difficulty and provided counseling for his problem.
• He had a support system, his family, who were willing to assist him in the process of rehabilitation and renewal.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1985
And it seemed to be working according to his plan. After a few years at the bottom of the sales force, his hard work earned him a supervisory role. The next step up the ladder came several years later when he was approached about becoming a member of management. Now he was happy and content, convinced that his dreams were being fulfilled.
By the time John was in his forties he had done all the right things to create an image of “the successful business man.” Modeling himself after many of the people in the company whom he considered leaders, he had joined the best country club, become a member of the church which he thought provided the most “visibility” in the business community, and had sent his children to private schools.
He had avoided situations which he thought might cause embarrassment. At one time his wife had wanted to move her parents to their city, but he vetoed this stating that they wouldn’t fit in the image he needed to continue to advance in the company. His children had wanted to attend the Boy Scout camp with some of their friends, but he insisted that they attend an expensive and highly selective summer camp for children of wealthier families. Although he detested golf, he was on the greens every Saturday, again to make the right contacts.
When John finally was made a vice-president, his happiness diminished. Within two months he was extremely depressed and despondent in his new position. First he fortified his disillusion with alcohol. Frequently he drove around after work with feelings of rear, apprehension and even panic on his mind. His power of concentration seemed lost and he became suspicious of his colleagues.
With John’s performance severely impaired, the company president called him in. Quickly ascertaining his unhappy state, he suggested professional counseling to unravel his source of difficulty and to seek some solution to his problem.
Because he trusted his supervisor, John complied. After a few sessions with a professional counselor it was revealed that the source of the difficulty was what some mental health experts call “fear of success.”
Although John had climbed the ladder of success, feelings he had developed about himself sabotaged this success. And attaining success had produced some unexpected and unpredicted effects.
Many in the mental health profession feel that the “fear of success” syndrome is most clearly evidenced in the profession, corporate and academic spheres. Coupled with this fear, phenomena such as burnout and midlife crisis are found.
John’s difficulties were treatable and were resolved.
• John was fortunate to have an immediate supervisor who was willing to help him.
• John was willing to accept the fact that he had a problem. He was not resistant to help.
• He was referred to a person who correctly diagnosed his difficulty and provided counseling for his problem.
• He had a support system, his family, who were willing to assist him in the process of rehabilitation and renewal.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1985