People who thrived academically but fall behind in the real world usually display these 6 behaviors

Have you ever known someone who excelled in school but struggled once they entered the real world?

It’s a familiar story. They were top of their class, breezing through exams and impressing teachers with ease. Yet, when it came time to translate those academic wins into career success, something didn’t quite click. 

I’ve always found this phenomenon fascinating, especially because, on paper, these individuals have all the ingredients for success. But as I’ve learned, real-world success often demands more than just academic prowess.

Today, we’re exploring six behaviors that tend to hold back academically successful individuals in the real world. 

Let’s get into it.

1) Perfectionism

Ah, perfectionism. A common trait among the academically gifted, yet it often proves to be a stumbling block in the real world.

You see, in school, we’re rewarded for getting things right. Perfect scores lead to accolades and advancement. 

But in the real world, this obsession with perfection can hinder growth and progress. 

You see, life isn’t a well-defined problem with one correct answer. It’s a series of challenges, each requiring unique solutions. Those who thrive are not the ones who make no mistakes but the ones who learn from their mistakes.

Perfectionists often struggle with this concept. They can be so afraid of making a mistake that they become paralyzed, unable to take action. Also, as noted by experts, perfectionism is associated with burnout which can really hinder success. 

2) Lack of practical experience

Now, this one hits close to home for me. I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm, and in school, that served me well. I could bury myself in textbooks and ace the exams. 

But when it came to practical application? Well, that was a different story.

I remember my first job out of college. Despite my academic knowledge, I struggled with real-world tasks like meeting deadlines, coordinating with team members, and handling criticism.

Academic knowledge is valuable, but it can’t replace hands-on experience. Real-world skills often come from doing, failing, learning, and doing again. It’s an ongoing cycle that no amount of theoretical knowledge can replicate.

So here’s my advice: don’t shy away from getting your hands dirty. Dive into experiences headfirst. You might stumble and fall, but you’ll also learn and grow in ways that classrooms can’t teach you.

3) Struggling with failure

Failure can be a tough pill to swallow for anyone but this is especially true for those who’ve been academically successful. They’re not used to stumbling, and when they do, it can shake their confidence to the core.

Often, when they face failure in the real world, they perceive it as a blow to their identity. This fear of failure can prevent them from taking risks or stepping out of their comfort zones.

But here’s the thing: Failure is not a reflection of our worth. It’s just an indication that a particular approach didn’t work. It’s an opportunity to learn and grow. As Einstein famously said, “Failure is success in progress.” It’s a stepping stone towards growth.

4) Over-reliance on intelligence

Now, this might sound counter-intuitive. After all, isn’t intelligence a key to success? 

Well, yes and no.

Sure, intelligence can open doors and create opportunities. However, relying solely on intelligence can be a mistake. In the real world, things like emotional intelligence, resilience, adaptability, and interpersonal skills often carry more weight.

This is well noted by experts. The folks at the World Economic Forum, for instance, ranked “Resilience, flexibility and agility” as the third most important skill for workers in their Future Of Jobs 2023 report. 

Academically successful people often pride themselves on their intelligence. They’re used to being the smartest person in the room and having all the answers. 

But the real world isn’t a test that you can ace by simply knowing the right answers. It’s about navigating complex relationships, adapting to changing circumstances, and dealing with ambiguity – areas where emotional and social intelligence play a crucial role.

5) Difficulty working with a team

Let’s be real—schools say they promote teamwork through group projects, but the reality? Most of the academic system is focused on individual performance. Exams, essays, and tests are done solo, and that’s how you’re primarily judged. 

While group assignments do happen, they rarely mimic the collaborative dynamics the working world, where ideas clash, personalities differ, and working together efficiently is the key to getting things done.

It is less about getting the right answer alone and more about navigating relationships, dealing with conflicting viewpoints, and building on each other’s strengths. 

Academically successful individuals often struggle here because they’re used to relying solely on themselves. They might have thrived when it came to solving equations, but collaborating on a complex project with multiple moving parts? That’s a different story.

Teamworking skills don’t get developed just by acing exams or working in artificial group settings where the stakes are low. Instead, they come from experiences—managing a group under pressure, collaborating with people who think differently, and resolving conflicts.

6) Difficulty in adapting to ambiguity

Last but not least, one of the biggest challenges academically successful people face is dealing with ambiguity. 

In school, there’s always a clear syllabus, specific questions, and well-defined expectations. You study, you test, you succeed or fail—pretty straightforward, right? 

Well in practice, things aren’t that simple. Problems don’t come with neatly packaged instructions, and the “right” solution isn’t always obvious.

Successful students often struggle here because they’ve been conditioned to look for clear answers. Thriving requires the ability to navigate uncertainty, think creatively, and make decisions with incomplete information. 

Final thoughts

In the end, while academic success may open doors, it doesn’t always translate to thriving in the real world. 

The truth is, behaviors like perfectionism, lack of practical experience, fear of failure, over-reliance on intelligence, and poor teamwork skills can hold people back once out of the structured environment of school. 

The real world rewards adaptability, emotional intelligence, and resilience far more than just being the “smartest person in the room.” 

The good news is that with some self-awareness and a willingness to evolve, these limiting behaviors can be overcome.