Latest news with #highachievers
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Top A-level grades are worth £15,000 a year
Achieving top grades at A-level could add £15,000 to a graduate's earning potential, new figures have shown. Those who clinched 360 points in their exams – equivalent to three top grades – earned £44,200 on average five years after graduating university, according to data from the 2022-23 tax year. Pupils who got fewer than 180 points (or three Ds) earned £29,200, meaning the high achieving students were paid 50pc more. In cash terms, this intellectual premium has never been higher, according to the latest outcomes data from the Department for Education. It comes as a record 28.3pc of all A-levels were marked A or A* in the 2025 exam session. Students who failed to achieve more than three Ds found themselves barely earning more than the £26,000 median income for non-graduates in their twenties at the time. Those who completed a BTEC qualification instead of A-levels, typically costing between £2,000 and £8,000 for a two-year course, were found to be earning an average of £27,000 when assessed at the same point. With university entrants this autumn forced to stomach yet another tuition fee rise, with the cap rising 3.1pc to £9,535 a year, non-academic avenues may yield a better financial payoff. While the academically gifted may simply tend to target subjects or careers with higher earnings potential, and may rise through their employers' ranks faster, the real difference is most likely the universities to which their impressive scorecards give them access. The graduate earnings spread between institutions offering the same subject can be enormous – averaging just under £30,000 across all 35 broad subject areas. Nowhere is the difference between the best- and worst-paid alumni greater than for business and management students. University of Oxford graduates in the field were found to be on the cusp of six-figures after just five years, earning £93,800. Their counterparts from Wrexham University (called Glyndŵr University at the time), meanwhile, were making £23,700 – just under four times less. While the academic requirements to the former's economics and management degree are a stiff A*AA (including a top grade in maths), you can be considered for the Welsh establishment's business and management course with three Cs. The same data shows those having achieved 360 points in their A-levels are far more likely to go after masters degrees or PhDs. Of the smartest in the class, 16pc were still studying five years after graduation, compared to 9pc for those who took home fewer than 180 points. Low-scoring graduates were also more often out of work or education, at 6.4pc compared to 4.3pc for high achievers. Tom Allingham, from money advice website Save the Student, said: 'This confirms what I'm sure many people already believed – that those who achieve higher grades will likely go on to earn higher salaries. 'That said, there is more to this than initially meets the eye. While those who achieved three or four A/A* grades have a notable earnings premium over their peers, the difference between all other groups is fairly small – albeit still with a positive correlation. 'In other words, when it comes to your future salary, the difference between, for example, a B and a C at A-levels may not be all that significant.' Rose Stephenson, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Higher Education Policy Institute, said: 'The gap in earnings between graduates with high and low A-level results has never been greater – it is now the widest gap on record. 'While university is a great investment for many, these figures are a stark reminder that effort at school and college continues to pay dividends long after leaving the classroom. 'The imperative remains to tackle entrenched inequalities described by the Secretary of State for Education today. It should be your intellect alone that determines your grade results, not your background or wealth. 'These figures show the stark impact achieving lower grades can have on earning potential, and the cycle of disadvantage that can be perpetuated as a result.'
Yahoo
12-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Erin Stafford and Patrice Bonfiglio Discuss Sustainable Success on The Burnout Club Podcast
On The Burnout Club, the bestselling author and speaker shares how high achievers can thrive without sacrificing health or happiness. Erin Stafford explores burnout recovery, leadership insights, and creating a life that feels as good as it looks. Beverly Hills California, Aug. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erin Stafford, peak performance expert and bestselling author of The Type A Trap, joined Patrice Bonfiglio on The Burnout Club podcast for a candid discussion on breaking free from burnout while maintaining ambition. Drawing from her own experience leading marketing at one of North America's largest healthcare staffing firms through the pandemic, Stafford revealed why success without joy can become just another trap. Stafford recounted her intense professional chapter, overseeing 75 employees and managing multiple brands, all while navigating crisis-level demands. 'We grew 27X in six years, and during the pandemic, we were working 20 hours a day, seven days a week,' Stafford said. 'I burned out spectacularly, and it completely changed how I viewed success.' Her book, The Type A Trap, draws on hundreds of interviews with Navy SEAL captains, diplomats, Olympic athletes, CEOs, and others, all tackling the same question: how do top performers achieve big goals without losing themselves? 'Almost everyone had faced burnout or deep overwhelm at some point,' Stafford noted. 'Their lessons were simpler than expected — often just doing less, focusing on what truly matters, and finding small 'pockets of peace.'' The conversation also highlighted the healthcare sector's unique challenges post-pandemic. Stafford referenced research her team conducted showing that clinicians didn't want token perks but meaningful check-ins. 'The number one thing they wished their leaders asked was, 'How are you really?' It's so simple, yet so rare,' she said. Through personal stories, Stafford demonstrated that using simple tools can transform outcomes. After applying her own framework during an extraordinarily difficult year — which included personal loss, family health crises, and major life changes — Stafford still achieved record business success. 'It proves these tools work. It's not about eliminating stress forever, but building a toolkit that carries you through.' To explore more about Stafford's work or to book her for speaking engagements, visit or find her on LinkedIn and Instagram. About Erin Stafford:Erin Stafford is a global speaker, marketing strategist, and author of The Type A Trap. Following her own journey through burnout, she now helps high achievers and organizations redefine success, build resilience, and protect mental health for long-term performance. About The Burnout Club: The Burnout Club Podcast is a community-driven platform that explores the intersection of professional success and burnout. Hosted by Patrice Bonfiglio, a seasoned hedge fund executive with nearly two decades of experience, the podcast delves into the realities of burnout in high-pressure environments. Media Communications: adamtorres@ Attachment Erin Stafford explores burnout recovery, leadership insights, and creating a life that feels as good as it while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Forbes
31-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why You Should Never Just Do What Your Boss Says
In many workplaces, absolute obedience is mistaken for professionalism. Yet, the best employees do not just follow orders. High performers are inquisitive, push back when needed, and act with intention. Here's why doing just exactly what you are told could lead to missed opportunities in growing your career. The Opportunity to Deliver More Value Employees completing their responsibilities and tasks as directed should be appreciated. An expectation for individuals to overdeliver on every task will lead to disengagement and burnout. However, what sets high achievers apart is how they approach every task with the mindset of 'How do I make this better?' Whether it's a small task or a major initiative, there's almost always room for improvement. A faster process, a smoother handoff, a happier client, or a stronger end-product all deliver more value. Analyze your current responsibilities and think about how you can improve the speed or quality of your work. When your manager requests a task, look for opportunities to go a step further and deliver more than what is being asked. It's A Chance To Shape Tasks Around Your Strengths Not every task at work will align perfectly with your passions, chasing 100% employee happiness is not reality. While some employees may begrudgingly check the box and move on, high performers look for ways to turn routine assignments into strategic opportunities. With a bit of creativity, you can expand the scope of a task to better align with your strengths and career goals. A reporting assignment might open the door to data analysis skills. Leading a meeting could become a chance to strengthen your communication capabilities and grow your network. Managing a new workstream might allow you to build entrepreneurial experience. When you proactively shape your work to match your current capabilities and desired development areas, it will build new expertise and foster a stronger career. Good Employees Follow, Great Ones Think Critically Just because a directive comes from the top does not mean it is the only path forward. While leaders may focus on the big-picture viewpoint, individual employees may have more insight into the day-to-day work or department dynamics. Speaking up and offering alternative paths forward shows you care about the success of the team, your manager, and the business. Employees who always say 'yes' without questioning the process can unintentionally reinforce inefficiencies or flawed systems. Progress comes from thoughtful input, not silent compliance. Strong leaders welcome feedback, providing the goals and objectives while letting employees have autonomy. They trust employees to figure out the best path from A to Z, while offering guidance along the way. High performers do not just do what's asked of them. They find ways to add value, align tasks with their strengths, and think critically about processes. By looking for opportunities to improve, creatively expanding responsibilities, and offering thoughtful feedback, you not only deliver more value at work, but also curate your own career focused on autonomy.
Associated Press
29-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Dr. Cheryl Jack Nominated for Major Leadership Award as She Names the Silent Epidemic of 'Nulling Out'
Veblen Directors honours Dr Jack's groundbreaking work identifying and solving the crisis of high-functioning emptiness gutting our most accomplished leaders. 'Burnout is a crisis of energy. Nulling out is a crisis of the self.'— Dr. Cheryl Jack LANSING, MI, UNITED STATES, July 28, 2025 / / -- Cheryl Jack, MD, a physician with over forty years of experience in the human condition, has been nominated for the prestigious 2025 Veblen Directors Programme Leadership Award. The nomination recognizes her pioneering work in defining 'nulling out"—a silent, insidious epidemic she identifies as the true crisis facing today's high-achievers. 'There is a crisis happening in plain sight, and it isn't burnout,' says Dr. Jack. 'Burnout is a crisis of energy. Nulling out is a crisis of the self. It's the erasure of the person you are, leaving behind only a high-functioning machine. It's the reason a leader can hit every target, exceed every expectation, and feel absolutely nothing.' Dr. Jack argues that for decades, we have been using the wrong language for this condition, leading to ineffective solutions. The consequences of this misdiagnosis are catastrophic, as the internal emptiness of 'nulling out' often leads to destructive acts—shattered marriages, reckless financial decisions, and professional self-sabotage—in a desperate attempt to feel something real again. In her forthcoming book, 'Nulling Out: How High Achievers Lose Themselves in Success (And How to Find Your Way Back),' Dr. Jack provides the first-ever framework for understanding and reversing this process. The book details her proprietary, integrative approach: a radical act of reclamation without destruction, guiding leaders to reconnect with their internal fire without having to burn down the lives they've painstakingly built. 'The tragedy isn't that these men are suffering,' Dr. Jack states. 'It's that they've been conditioned to believe their emptiness is the inevitable price of success. My work proves they're wrong.' The Veblen Directors Programme recognized Dr. Jack's work as a critical, timely, and necessary contribution to the future of sustainable leadership. Her focus on reintegrating the authentic self with the competent professional addresses a core challenge facing every modern organization. About Dr. Cheryl Jack: Dr. Jack is a physician, author, and the pioneering thought leader on 'nulling out.' Her 40- year journey has taken her from the ER to the boardroom, giving her a unique vantage point on the human condition. Her book, 'Nulling Out,' is the culmination of her life's work. Learn more at Megan Stow Prominence Global +61 412766649 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Cost Of Real Alignment: Why Letting Go Is The Leadership Skill We Don't Talk About
Alignment sounds beautiful. Until it asks you to let something go. And not something toxic. Not a mistake or an outdated belief. But something you love. Something you've invested in. Something you've been told you should want. Something that once served you well. That's the inconvenient truth about real congruence: it requires sacrifice. And for high-achieving leaders who pride themselves on clarity, strategy, and success, that truth can be hard to face - let alone act on. Alignment sounds beautiful. Until it asks you to let something Isn't About Saying Yes. It's About Enlightened No's. In our culture of optimization and overload, alignment gets talked about like it's a state of flow or a productivity hack. But real alignment is a filter. And like any filter worth using, it's defined not by what it lets in, but by what it keeps out. A value isn't a value if it costs you nothing. A priority isn't a priority if everything gets in line. And alignment isn't alignment if it doesn't require you to say no. No to the good-for-someone-else opportunity. No to the shiny object. No to the identity that no longer fits. Because when you're truly aligned, you stop chasing what works in general—and start choosing what works for Grief of Letting Go Several years ago, I made a decision that changed everything. I closed the company I had built and led for a decade. It wasn't a failed startup. We had impact, recognition, paying clients, and investor support. The programs were timely. The approach was bold. I was invited to founder meetups, B Corp gatherings, and CEO fellowships. I was in it, and it was in me. But here's the part I hadn't been honest about: I was great at parts of it, but exhausted by others. I loved the mission. I loved our clients. But the operational realities of being a CEO (managing team dynamics, financial modeling, board meetings, budgeting) weren't aligned with my actual gifts, energy, or lifestyle. Being a CEO wasn't my highest and best use. I had spent so long proving I could do it that I hadn't ... More stopped to ask if I naming that misalignment took years. I had spent so long proving I could do it that I hadn't stopped to ask if I should. And when I finally did, the truth was humbling: Being a CEO wasn't my highest and best use. It wasn't my fullest expression of leadership. It wasn't mine anymore, if it ever had Took Time (And Grief) From the first whisper of that insight to the day I closed the company, nearly two years passed. Not because I was indecisive, but because letting go of an identity that once fit is grieving. There's no offboarding form for that. No standard operating procedure for unraveling your own narrative. Even after the logistics were complete - contracts ended, bank accounts closed, team notified - I had to sit with the discomfort of absence. The absence of a title. Of a rhythm. Of a familiar story I'd been telling about who I was and why I mattered. But grief turned into mourning. Mourning made space for reflection. And reflection became growth. Recognizing the grief of letting go of my company allowed for growth to New Alignment? It Feels Like Breathing. Today, I'm more aligned than ever. I'm not managing a team. I'm not updating investor decks. I'm not pretending that financial projections energize me. Instead, I'm writing, speaking, coaching leaders, and facilitating equine-assisted leadership work that pulls wisdom not from spreadsheets, but from nature. I'm in the saddle a few times a week - not as a luxuriant hobby, but because it keeps me grounded, present, and creative. At first, I told myself that wasn't 'real' work. Now I know it's the most real thing I do. Because the insights I gain in those quiet, wordless spaces - the insights I then metabolize and bring into keynotes, client sessions, and research - are what help other leaders become more human, more effective, and more whole. That's my true alignment. That's my Missing 1%.Discomfort Isn't Always a Red Flag. Sometimes, It's a Door. Here's what I've learned, and what I share with every leader I coach: You can't make that distinction unless you slow down enough to feel the difference. That's why body awareness matters. That's why I teach leaders to tune into their physical intuition, not just performance data or quarterly OKRs. Because the body often knows before the brain admits Is a Luxury, and a Responsibility Let's be clear: not everyone can afford to walk away from a role or rewrite their career narrative. That's real. But many senior leaders can. And don't. They stay out of habit. Out of identity. Out of loyalty to a version of themselves that no longer exists. And that quiet dissonance? It's costly. Because energy spent on misaligned tasks isn't neutral. It drains. It distracts. It diminishes. If you're in a position of power, leadership, or privilege, then you owe it to yourself (and your team) to lead from your most congruent This: The One-Thing Filter If this resonates, start simple. Ask yourself: Maybe it's a client whose values don't align with yours. A meeting you dread that could be delegated or dropped. A leadership responsibility you've outgrown. You don't have to burn it all down. But you do have to clear space. Because if your alignment doesn't cost you anything, it's probably not real. And if your leadership isn't filtered, it's probably not Yours to Keep - and What's Yours to Release? Congruent leadership isn't a buzzword. It's an act of courage. It means telling the truth about who you are now, not just who you've been. It means sacrificing what's 'almost right' to make room for what's actually aligned. And it means trusting that the space you clear will be filled, not with noise or pressure, but with presence. So: Curious where your leadership might be delivering diminishing returns? This 3-minute diagnostic reveals simple shifts that can unlock deeper fulfillment—without doing more. Trust that the space you clear will be filled, not with noise or pressure, but with presence.
