Hypercompetence and the Need to Be Wonder Woman

Crisis, a state of being, comes from circumstances that demand urgent action. Significant, real-world consequences are at stake. Crisis requires us to make decisions and respond quickly.

Hypercompetence, another state of being, makes us feel we must take urgent action, even when it's not necessarily our place. Hypercompetence, often originating in traumatic experience, overactivates our internal motivation and draws us into action.

Even in a non-crisis state, people with Hypercompetence tend to overdo, going beyond what's healthy. Overly accountable and overly responsible, they are too good at getting things done for their own good.

We Crisis Navigation Partners® know about Hypercompetence. We tried to do it all—everything we expected of ourselves and most of what we imagined others expected from us. We went over, above, and beyond. Our lives exhausted us. We tried to escape the overload by numbing out—with food, media, etc.—but at some point, our coping mechanisms stopped blocking our pain. Eventually, we grew through it. Now on the other side, we accompany people of all Competence Types—before, during, and after crisis.

Take our Do You Have "Need-to-Be Wonder Woman" Complex? quiz to learn your Primary Competence Type, along with its underlying causes and how to grow through them.

In the coming posts, we'll share how Hypercompetence can compel us to try to be like Wonder Woman, single-handedly managing everything for everyone. Stay tuned!