EP 265 — Maybe It's Me: The Hidden Cost of High Performance with Erika Alessandrini
Host Tyler Dickerhoof sits down with Erika Alessandrini — executive coach, facilitator, and author of Maybe It's Me — for a raw, honest conversation about what it really costs to be a high performer.
Erika spent over two decades in corporate leadership before a brutally honest 360 review cracked open something she couldn't ignore: the results were real, but so was the damage.
This conversation takes you down the childhood wounds that drive adult overachievement, the difference between controlling and leading, and why the people who need this work most are often the last ones to see it.
Key Talking Points:
Why high performers stay stuck: the beliefs that fuel chronic overcommitment and under-satisfaction
Erika's 360 feedback wake-up call, and why she still didn't believe it at first
Growing up with an alcoholic father and learning that performance = protection
The difference between control and shared power. Why one destroys relationships
How fear disguises itself as responsibility and caring
The "justification + postponement" pattern that keeps high performers stuck for years
Erika's nonprofit work at Aileron and her new program, Becoming a Leader at Peace
Meet Erika
Business and Leadership Coach
Erika is on a mission to make a peaceful, more satisfying life possible for anyone who desires it. With over a decade of coaching experience and more than two decades in executive leadership, she helps high-performing leaders and teams unlock their full potential — without burning out in the process.
Before becoming a coach, Erika spent 23 years in the automotive aftermarket industry, leading complex post-acquisition integrations and navigating the pressures of growth, people, and performance. She saw firsthand how good leaders can become exhausted leaders, and made it her life’s work to change that.
Resources, books, and links mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Erika at:
Get a copy of Erika's Book: Maybe It's Me
https://www.youtube.com/@impactdrivenleader
https://www.instagram.com/thetylerdickerhoofshow/
Subscribe to the newsletter:
https://impactdrivenleader.beehiiv.com/
About the Tyler Dickerhoof Show Podcast
The Impact Driven Leader Podcast, hosted by Tyler Dickerhoof, is for Xillennial leaders who have felt alone and ill-equipped to lead in today's world. Through inspiring interviews with authors from around the world, Tyler uncovers how unique leadership strengths can empower others to achieve so much more, with real impact.
Rate, review and subscribe here on Apple Podcasts or subscribe on Stitcher and Spotify.
