When you walk into a store, store associates often greet you with “Is there anything I can help you find?” I always say, “I’m just looking,” even when I am looking for something specific and don’t know where it is. I could save myself the time and trouble of wandering the entire store if I could just say, “Yes, there is something I need help with.” But I don’t. Even in a simple situation such as needing help finding something in a store, I don’t ask for help.

I am 25 years old, and I don’t know how to ride a bike. Now I’m sure you’re wondering how that’s even possible, but I promise you it’s true. How did that even happen? I was and am still afraid. I didn’t learn how to ride a bike when I was too young to know not to be afraid, so when I got older, I knew the potential consequences. I knew I could fall off and get hurt, so I let the fear of failure stop me. While not being able to ride a bike is a silly example, it illustrates a larger point about how fear of failure can limit your potential.

I have always been attracted to stressful jobs. Nothing can beat the rush you feel when the odds are stacked against you, and everyone is counting on you to pull through to get to done. Some people might find this kind of pressure absolutely terrifying, but for me, it’s the only way I know how to work. Deadlines are only one of the many contributors to the birth of my stress-induced anxiety – which has both helped and hurt my career.

How did I become a manager by age 24? The short answer is I’m a perfectionist. Now I’m sure you’ve read plenty of articles demonizing managers who are perfectionists. Some perfectionist signs of managers include the inability to delegate, being easily stressed and intolerance of mistakes. If perfectionist bosses are such ineffective leaders, how did I rise to manager level as a perfectionist?