Dealing with the pressure to succeed: perspectives from sport and entrepreneurship

Dealing with the pressure to succeed — what does it feel like when everything looks successful from the outside? In my conversations with Henning Fritz and Jonas Andrulis, I encounter this question from two different directions. The former national team goalkeeper looks back on a difficult period after major sporting achievements. In 2024, the founder describes trying to do justice to many important responsibilities at once.

Both conversations reveal the tension between expectations and the energy available to meet them. This article brings their perspectives together. The questions at the end invite you to relate these ideas to your own situation.

Henning Fritz: improving or defending a status?

In episode 125, Henning Fritz describes developing through small steps over many years. After his major successes, his internal standard changed: he felt he now had something to defend. The desire to improve became a fear of losing the level he had reached.

Looking back, he describes this shift as one possible factor in his difficulties at the time. At the same time, he stresses that the situation was complex. That qualification matters: a single thought cannot explain an entire crisis. His account does, however, show how our view of our own performance can change.

Later in the conversation, Fritz talks about the basics, recovery and small steps. With hindsight, he would pay more attention to looking after his foundations. This describes a changed attitude towards performance: what do I need in order to take the next step?

Explore the conversation with Henning Fritz in episode 125 (German) →

Jonas Andrulis: when several important tasks compete

In our 2024 conversation, Jonas Andrulis describes another form of pressure. He wants to engage with technological questions. At the same time, his leadership team, employees and public responsibilities need his attention. What weighs on him is the feeling that, despite all his work, he is neglecting important things.

Here, the conflict is between several legitimate demands. More time for one task means less time for another. Andrulis talks about distributing his attention as sensibly as possible and living up to his responsibilities.

He also identifies stabilising the team as an important task. Technical ambitions therefore sit alongside a very human question: what conditions do the people in a company need in order to contribute their abilities? The interview reflects his situation at the time and his view of that responsibility.

Explore the conversation with Jonas Andrulis in episode 126 (German) →

Dealing with the pressure to succeed: two different perspectives

For Henning Fritz, the focus is on a changed view of his own status. For Jonas Andrulis, it is about competing tasks and limited time. The situations are not equivalent. Together, however, they broaden the question of what we actually mean when we talk about pressure.

Sometimes it is about trying to live up to the image of a previous success. In other situations, what is missing is a clear decision about what takes priority now. Reflecting on this can begin with naming the particular expectation on your mind. This is a question for personal reflection, rather than a ready-made solution from the interviews.

Four questions to explore further

• What standard am I using right now? Am I comparing myself with a previous peak or with the next useful step?
• Which tasks are competing? What really matters at the same time, and where is a decision about priorities missing?
• Which foundations am I overlooking? What supports my work day to day, even when it is not very visible?
• Which conversation would help? Who could I talk to openly about expectations and the time available?

You can start with just one of these questions. It is worth considering whether you can name a specific situation. An upcoming project or a particular expectation is easier to examine closely than a general wish to keep getting better.

Hear the perspectives in context

In these conversations, dealing with the pressure to succeed also means looking at the conditions behind visible performance. Henning Fritz and Jonas Andrulis describe personal experiences from different stages of life. The full episodes give their statements the space they need. The original recordings and linked episode articles are in German.

You can find more conversations in the Mental strength collection. If you are thinking about your own definition of success, read Success and personal fulfilment as well.