How to Build High-Performing Teams Without Breaking Them | The Breakdown Series

We often equate leadership with endurance; keep pushing, keep grinding, keep showing up. But what happens when our teams are quietly unraveling behind the scenes?

In this episode of the Inner Work series, The Breakdown, MaryAnn Means-Dufrene and Karen Finney reflect on a past conversation with Brad Wallace of LKCM Headwater Investments, unpacking the deep truths it revealed about performance, burnout, and team culture.

Together, they explore what it means to lead well without running your team (or yourself) into the ground. If you’ve ever questioned whether the pace you're driving is actually sustainable… this one’s for you.

The Disruption: When Performance Becomes Pressure

Brad’s original episode offered a sharp lens on how high expectations, left unchecked, can backfire. Karen and MaryAnn revisit the core metaphor of the “corporate athlete”, someone trained not just to go hard, but to recover wisely. They discuss how relentless performance expectations erode creativity, energy, and ultimately, trust.

“We act like we can sprint forever. But we’re designed to rise and fall. To rest and recover.”

The Inner Work: Calling Out the Cost of Overextension

MaryAnn and Karen turn the mirror inward, what are the beliefs that keep leaders driving teams past their limits? They share personal stories about moments when they overrode warning signs, and how Brad’s message reframed that behavior. They also explore how team norms, when left vague, often default to burnout culture.

“If your team is on Saturday calls, they’re not thriving. They’re surviving. And that’s not sustainable leadership.”

The Rebuild: Making Space for Capacity and Clarity

Karen and MaryAnn offer practical takeaways from Brad’s leadership philosophy, showing how small shifts, like honoring capacity, setting visible priorities, and modeling emotional regulation, build healthier, more loyal teams. The goal isn’t less productivity; it’s smarter, more sustainable output.

“You don’t need a bigger to-do list, you need clearer boundaries.”

What I Know Now: 5 Grounding Reminders for Leaders

• Pushing through isn’t a strategy, it’s a warning sign.
  
  
• Feedback is a gift when delivered with care.
  
  
• Weekend work signals broken norms, not high commitment.
  
  
• Rest is a leadership tool, not a luxury.
  
  
• Clarity isn’t rigid, it’s kind.

🎧 Listen to the full episode now!