Why Even High Performers Get Frustrated

Ever seen someone go from calm to curt in 0.5 seconds during a meeting?

Or maybe you’ve been on the receiving end of a comment that made you think:“

Why are they so intense about this?”

Before you write your people off as difficult, disengaged, or dramatic—pause.

Because what you might be witnessing isn’t attitude. It could be the result of how the brain is wired and triggered.

And in high-pressure work environments, it happens more often than we think.

What’s Actually Happening?

We’re all wired differently—and that wiring shapes how we think, react, and engage at work.

Some brains crave structure.

Some need to ask questions to connect the dots.

Some are big-picture and visionary.

Some lead through people and connection.

That wiring doesn’t just drive how we perform—it shapes how we respond under pressure.

If your brain needs structure, chaos feels like a threat.

If your brain seeks meaning, surface-level answers feel hollow.

If your brain is wired for speed, delays can feel like failure.

Now imagine being in an environment that constantly clashes with that wiring.

That’s where frustration starts to show up.

It’s not personal. It’s neurological.

When someone gets curt, shuts down, walks away, or pushes back—it’s often their brain saying: “This isn’t working for me.”

The Leadership Shift

Frustration is a signal.

It’s not a red flag to ignore—it’s insight waiting to be decoded.

And the people showing it? Often the ones who care the most.

Try this instead:

Don’t say: “You’re overreacting.”

Do say: “Something feels off—want to talk it through?”

Help your people by supporting how they're wired - and not suppressing it.

Because when you understand how your people are wired, you stop managing reactions—and start unlocking performance.

Lead Smarter with Brain Science

Don't throw away the opportunity to grow your people because of frustration that they display. Teach them how to calm the part of the brain that is triggered when there is a perceived threat or change, and activate the smart part of their brain that can reason.

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At Lead Smarter, we care about helping leaders understand how people are wired—not just how they behave. When teams feel seen, they perform better. If this sparked something, let’s chat. Sometimes all it takes is one shift in how we see our people—for everything to change.