Why are some next gen heirs workaholics chasing approval that never lands?

Kris Kluver, in The Dysfunctional Family Office, names this archetype the Overachiever. The Overachiever is constantly pushing, accomplishing, proving, and it never feels like enough. They're driven by a need for approval that no achievement can satisfy. They risk burnout, broken relationships, or success that feels hollow even when it looks impressive from outside. The pattern usually forms when the founder never explicitly stated approval and the heir spent decades trying to earn it through visible accomplishment. The credentials. The promotions. The ventures. The exits. Each milestone produces a brief reprieve and then the pressure returns. The fix is rarely more achievement. It's the explicit conversation with the founder that should have happened decades ago. What does the founder actually want for me. Have they told me. The Overachiever pairs with the Helicopter founder to produce an Exhausting Cycle where neither party can rest and the relationship becomes performance, not connection.