Rethinking the Term “High-Performing Women”
I’ve never liked the term “high-performing women.” In fact, I think it’s time we retire it from our cultural vocabulary.
What does it even mean to be high-performing? The phrase instantly triggers judgments, comparisons, and unspoken hierarchies. If someone isn’t high-performing, does that automatically make them low-performing?
Here’s the truth I’ve witnessed: many women who are labeled as “high performers” quietly confess their exhaustion, stress, and sense of dis-ease.
The Problem with Performance Metrics
Society often ties high performance to external achievements: income levels, job titles, promotions, or productivity. But what about the stay-at-home mom raising four kind and resilient humans? Is she somehow less of a performer because her contributions don’t fit into a spreadsheet?
When we reduce women to these labels, we reinforce the outdated belief that success and happiness can only be measured by money or output.
A Different Lens of Excellence
Excellence is not about endless hustle. It’s about:
Forgiving when it would be easier to hold a grudge.
Serving selflessly, without needing recognition.
Humbling ourselves to lift others up.
Loving our neighbor as ourselves, even when it’s inconvenient.
As David Hawkins explains in Power vs. Force, there is a measurable energetic difference between living from competition and control (force) and living from love, truth, and service (power). Force depletes energy; power replenishes it.
When we glorify “high performance” through force, we end up exhausted and disconnected. But when we align with power — compassion, truth, forgiveness, love — something extraordinary happens.
The Evidence
This shift isn’t just spiritual language — it’s backed by research:
A McKinsey study found that empathy in leadership correlates with higher productivity, stronger culture, and better organizational health (read here).
Gallup reports that employees who trust their leaders are 61% more likely to stay in their jobs and significantly more engaged (source).
When leaders provide trust, hope, compassion, and stability, thriving skyrockets (source).
So when we lead from qualities of power rather than force, we don’t just feel better individually — organizations, families, and communities thrive too.
Where Kundalini Yoga Comes In
This is where my own practice has been transformative. Kundalini Yoga offers tools that help us embody power instead of force. Through breathwork, meditation, and movement, we strengthen the nervous system, calm the mind, and raise our consciousness.
When we go inward, we begin to excavate the parts of ourselves that hold us back — the fears, doubts, and ingrained conditioning that drive us to perform out of force. Instead, we learn to cultivate inner strength, presence, and clarity.
In that space, “performance” takes on a new meaning. We are not just chasing numbers or external validation. We are living from our greatest potential — grounded, expansive, and aligned.
A Culture Shift Where Everyone Wins
If we start measuring “high performance” not by hustle but by consciousness, the ripple effects could transform our future.
Families would be rooted in love and resilience.
Organizations would thrive on trust, empathy, and authentic leadership.
Individuals would feel more joy, purpose, and freedom.
When we perform from a place of power rather than force, everybody wins. And maybe then, “high-performing women” would mean women who live fully, love deeply, and lead from wholeness — creating ripples of positive change that lift us all.
Ready to Explore What True High Performance Feels Like?
If this message resonates with you, I invite you to go beyond reading and step into practice. Kundalini Yoga and meditation are powerful tools to help you cultivate the inner strength, clarity, and consciousness that allow you to thrive from a place of power — not force.
Explore my individual offerings here.
