Doug NollI'm called in when human dynamics are getting in the way of strategic leadership execution.

Most High Performers Are Stuck at Emotional Level 3 (Without Knowing It)

9 Jun 2026 · 1 min

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This content was created by Doug Noll. This content was uploaded by Doug Noll. This is a YouTube video titled "Most High Performers Are Stuck at Emotional Level 3 (Without Knowing It)" (uploaded 2026-06-09). The excerpt is from a talk/presentation about emotional regulation, explaining Stage 3 (suppression—appearing calm while anger or frustration is buried) and Stage 4 (full regulation—prefrontal cortex senses and modulates emotion). The speaker frames this in the context of leaders and high performers and the implications for behavior.

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But Stages 3 and 4 is where it gets a lot more interesting and a lot more uncomfortable, because Stage 3 is where most leaders and high performers actually live. You see, Stage 3 is suppression. You appear calm on the outside, but inside you are boiling with anger or frustration or just pure rage. The emotion is still fully active, just buried inside yourself. This is not regulation. It's a pressure cooker ready to release at any time. And this is where most high performers live. And that gets us to Stage 4, full regulation. The prefrontal cortex can feel the emotion and modulate it. You get to decide how much of the emotion to express.