Many high-performing clients—executives, physicians, and academics—sustain success by overusing strengths such as vigilance, responsibility, and control. When these strengths become unbalanced, they form what Dr. Wu calls the high-capacity trap—a state where capability turns into armor and achievement masks chronic overdrive.
This session helps coaches recognize the underlying mechanisms behind the high-capacity trap and apply evidence-based frameworks to restore balance between performance and well-being. Participants will explore how coaching can strengthen not only individual effectiveness but also the broader ecosystems leaders influence. Drawing on neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and Intentional Change Theory, Dr. Wu will guide participants through practical strategies to identify over-control, facilitate nervous system regulation, and help clients shift from “doing more” to leading with presence and sustainability.
Learning Objectives:
1 Identify the behavioral and emotional signs of the high-capacity trap in coaching clients.
2 Apply a framework for rebalancing overused strengths to restore sustainable performance.
3 Integrate nervous-system and evidence-based tools into coaching practice to enhance grounded leadership.
Core Competencies Addressed:
Embodies a Coaching Mindset, Cultivates Trust and Safety, Maintains Presence, Listens Actively, Evokes Awareness, Facilitates Client Growth
Participants will earn 1.25 Core Competency and .25 Resource Development CCEs for attending this program.
About our speaker:
Dr. Claire Wu, PCC Management Professor | Executive Coach Dr. Wu helps high-achieving leaders and professionals create sustainable impact and a life that truly fits. She believes coaching doesn’t just unlock individual potential—it strengthens the entire ecosystem a leader and team influence. As an immigrant, first-generation scholar, mother, and wife, her work is grounded in both rigorous research and lived experience. She partners with leaders across corporate sectors, medicine, and academia—including faculty and executives at the University of Michigan Medical School, Yale University, the University of Missouri–Columbia, and clients from Fortune 100 companies. Drawing from her HR background, she provides executive-level support such as job shadowing, 360-degree assessments, and comprehensive coaching deliverables. As a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin–Parkside, Dr. Wu has taught MBA-level Leadership, Human Resource Management, and Performance Management to more than 4,500 professionals. She has presented on leadership, well-being, and thriving at leading international and national conferences—including the Academy of Management and the Association for Business Communication—and has earned awards such as Best Paper, Outstanding Reviewer, and research grants. Her coaching emphasizes evidence-based, solution-oriented strategies that foster sustainable results and a grounded sense of joy.