Leading the hustle: unpacking the psychological toll of pacesetting leadership

Purpose This study aims to investigate the interplay between hustle culture and pacesetting leadership, and their combined effects on employee well-being. Although hustle culture glamorizes relentless productivity, its long-term consequences on mental, physical and relational health are often overlooked. This study addresses this gap by conceptualizing how pacesetting leadership reinforces hustle norms and amplifies risks to employee well-being. Design/methodology/approach A review of 33 scholarly articles (2000–2024) from Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science was conducted. Using a grounded approach, this study synthesized recurring themes related to leadership style, organizational culture and employee outcomes to develop a conceptual framework. Findings The study reveals that hustle culture, when perpetuated by pacesetting leadership, leads to increased work-life conflict, psychological strain and reduced autonomy. It negatively affects multiple dimensions of well-being, including mental health, physical health, social relationships and career satisfaction. A feedback loop is identified in which cultural expectations and leadership behaviors mutually reinforce each other, creating a high-pressure environment that undermines sustainable performance. Research limitations/implications Organizations must move beyond surface-level wellness initiatives and adopt systemic interventions that address leadership behavior, cultural expectations and structural practices. Training leaders in emotional intelligence, enforcing work-life boundaries and embedding well-being indicators into performance metrics are essential for mitigating the negative impacts of hustle culture. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to integrate hustle culture and pacesetting leadership into a unified conceptual framework of employee well-being, offering a foundational framework for future empirical research and practical workplace reforms.