Peak Performance
Why Aren’t More People Excellent?
The Bell Curve Theory of Life Most of us are familiar with the bell curve. Statistically, on many characteristics (such as height) people fall along a continuum. Most are near the average and very few are exceptional at both ends. There are lots of 5’9″ males and not very many 5’1″ or 7’1″ men in…
Read MoreUnderstanding Process and Outcome
If I had to choose a single concept most important to achieving sustainable excellence, it would be understanding the relationship between process and outcome. This principle is key to professional excellence but also to realizing your full potential in any area of life. Master this concept and life becomes simpler, more productive, and more focused.…
Read MoreSustainable Excellence Through Process, Discipline & Focus (Part 3)
I’ve presented the process and discipline components of sustainable excellence in the last two posts. The final piece of the performance equation is focus. Your goal plan provides the process you follow to achieve your ultimate vision. Determining whether goals are met along the way lets you know if you have the necessary discipline to…
Read MoreDo You Have The Discipline For Excellence (Part 2)?
In my last post I described the first of a three-step process for achieving sustainable excellence: Your individual, team, relationship, or organizational goal plan is the process you follow to achieve sustainable excellence. It is the roadmap and guide for accomplishing your ultimate vision. The second step is discipline. Simply said, did you honor the…
Read MoreSustainable Excellence Through Process, Discipline & Focus (Part 1)
Don’t rely on the latest tip of the day or fad of the month to achieve your personal or collective best. There will always be another leadership or self-help book, infomercial, exercise program, diet, etc., proclaiming to take you to the Promised Land. Truth be told, many techniques are helpful for temporarily improving some aspect…
Read More5 Steps To Avoid Complacency
Remember the fire in the belly you felt on the way to achieving a goal? The goal might have involved a project execution, career advancement, or a sports championship. You came to work each day focused and energized. Yet as you reached your goal, it’s likely that a subtle process began to take hold, one…
Read MoreFive Signs You are a Self-Aware Leader
Years ago, a CEO I was working with said to me, “You know, no one gets to be a CEO without an ego.” What struck me about his comment was that I perceived him as one of the lowest ego CEOs I have ever worked with. He possessed the self-awareness to understand that he had…
Read MoreIs Team Building a Waste of Time?
Mention the words “team building” to a group of senior leaders and you can feel the collective groans, sighs and various other forms of displeasure. Most senior leaders feel traditional team building is a waste of time. This might seem curious coming from an executive coach, but I agree with them. Except for the social…
Read MoreWhat Does Success Mean to You?
Most of us seek success. Is there anything wrong with that? Let’s face it, success is better than failure. Winning is better than losing. But high performers can also seek success for the wrong reasons. In addition to creating plans and goals to achieve success, I believe it’s important for high performers to understand why…
Read MoreCreating a Development Culture
Culture is an often used yet poorly understood concept in the workplace. You can immediately feel the atmosphere culture creates when you walk into an office, meeting or locker room. The factors that define culture are complex, but some of the most important ones are commitment, energy, loyalty, integrity and execution. Culture is established by…
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