When performance hurt
A leader's guide:
the psychology of performance
without the price you pay later.
This isn't a motivational book. No inspirational quotes.
What you'll find here is a professional framework, concrete mechanisms and uncomfortable questions – about what's really happening in your nervous system, your decisions, your body. And what you can do about it tonight, at your own pace, without having to talk to anyone about it.
What's inside?
What's happening in your nervous system
Polyvagal theory (Porges) in a leader's language.
Cortisol, sleep and cognition under pressure
Why a holiday doesn't change brain chemistry (McEwen, Walker).
The leader's isolation – a strategic risk
Not an emotional problem, but a decision-making risk.
Performance as a defense mechanism
Burnout per Maslach: not fatigue, but loss of meaning.
Decision-making under pressure
Somatic markers (Damasio), System 1 and 2 (Kahneman).
The body as a performance tool
A faster route to changing your state than the mind.
Protocols for everyday use
Anchoring, future pacing, a 4-week plan.
Relationships in the context of performance
Capacity for closeness as a function of the nervous system.
Who it's for
For leaders, managers, founders and professionals who run on high performance – and are beginning to feel the price they pay for it. Not for those looking for "balance". For those who want to understand the mechanism and hold concrete tools in their hands.
About the author
PhDr. Ivana Čergeťová, PhD., LL.M., MBA, PCIC, psychologist, NLP Master Coach. 20 years of practice. Previously Operations Director – 250+ people, 4 countries.
"I know what performance at full throttle looks like. And the price we pay for it — because I paid it myself."
A leader guide: when performance hurts
PDF · 8 chapters · practical techniques · test
If the guide gives you something concrete and you want to go deeper, almost.private is where we do that – 1:1, no audience. But that's the next step. The guide is a good first one.